Reserved-seat lawmaker Nusrat Tabassum has filed a case over a fire at her ancestral home in Kushtia’s Daulatpur upazila, alleging an attempt to kill her family members through arson and an explosion.
She filed the case with the Daulatpur Police Station on Thursday night, naming eight people and accusing another 25 to 30 unidentified individuals.
According to police sources, those named in the case include the president and general secretary of the banned Daulatpur upazila unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the president and general secretary of Kushtia district Chhatra League, the president and general secretary of the district Jubo League, and the president and general secretary of Daulatpur upazila Swechchhasebak League.
The fire broke out around 1:30am on Wednesday at the lawmaker’s house in Baguyan village of Daulatpur. Five of the house’s eight rooms were gutted, according to reports.
Nusrat alleged that the incident put the lives of her family members at risk.
Kushtia Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Operations) Faisal Mahmud said police were conducting drives to arrest the accused. He, however, declined to disclose the names of those named in the case, citing the interests of the investigation.
The incident has drawn widespread attention across the country and was also discussed in parliament on Thursday.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told parliament that investigators had found no evidence of petrol bombs being thrown at the village home of Nusrat Tabassum, a reserved-seat MP and leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP).
He said an electrical short circuit was suspected to have caused the fire.
The minister also said a joint investigation involving Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the Fire Service and the local administration was underway to determine whether the fire was accidental or deliberately set.
