A fire that gutted the ancestral home of National Citizen Party (NCP) lawmaker Nusrat Tabassum in Kushtia early Thursday has triggered allegations of political sabotage and a heated debate in Parliament, with the government saying preliminary findings suggest an electrical short circuit rather than a petrol bomb attack.
The blaze broke out shortly after midnight on Wednesday at the house in Bagowan village of Daulatpur upazila, destroying seven of its ten rooms and killing two goats. Furniture, clothes, shoemaking materials and other belongings were also destroyed.
Tabassum, an NCP joint convener and reserved-seat MP, alleged that Awami League-linked individuals had hurled petrol bombs at the property.
She claimed a local Chhatra League leader had posted a threatening message on Facebook about three hours before the incident.
The lawmaker’s family lives in a nearby three-storey building, while a caretaker’s family occupied part of the ancestral house, with livestock kept in another section.
Caretaker Shah Alam said he heard several loud bangs before discovering the fire. Residents rushed to extinguish the flames, but the blaze spread rapidly.
Police and fire service personnel subsequently visited the scene, while forensic experts collected evidence.
The incident reached Parliament on Thursday when Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam alleged that four petrol bombs had been thrown at the house.
He questioned how local police could dismiss the possibility of petrol bombs before completing forensic examinations.
Nahid also accused the Awami League of targeting lawmakers and activists associated with the July Uprising and expressed concern over their security.
Responding, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said an initial investigation suggested an electrical short circuit might have caused the fire.
He said investigators had found no signs of petrol bomb explosions on the walls, while witnesses had provided no evidence supporting the allegation.
According to the minister, an initial assessment by Border Guard Bangladesh indicated that old and weak electrical wiring could have triggered the blaze.
However, Salahuddin stressed that the findings were preliminary.
He said a joint investigation involving BGB, Fire Service and Civil Defence, civil administration and police had been ordered to establish whether the incident was accidental or deliberate.
“If further investigation reveals that anyone was involved in sabotage, appropriate action will be taken,” he said.
Kushtia police also said CCTV footage showed three apparent explosions, but these could have resulted from the fire itself.
Police said forensic examination would be necessary to establish the actual cause.