A war of words with the Speaker. A warning of a walkout. A suggestion that a fire at MP Nusrat Tabassum’s house could have been caused by an electrical short circuit rather than sabotage.

These three combined to create a tension-filled atmosphere in Parliament on Thursday.

It began when Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed sought to begin the question-and-answer session in line with the agenda for the fourth day of the fourth session of Parliament.

At the very outset, National Citizen Party Convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam stood up to raise a point of order. He sought permission to speak about the arson attack on MP Nusrat Tabassum’s house.

“I regret having to stand up at the very beginning, but the matter is extremely urgent. At around midnight last night, our...”

The Speaker stopped him, saying he would be allowed to speak after half an hour. He asked Nahid Islam to wait until the question-and-answer session was over.

Nahid replied, “What am I supposed to do with the question-and-answer session?”

He warned that he would not remain in Parliament if he was not allowed to speak. In response, the Speaker asked, “Will the world come to an end in half an hour? We are following a procedure. The Home Minister, who will give the response, is not here either.”

Nahid then said, “We know what the Home Minister will say. We just want to make our points. We are not expecting an answer.”

Warning that NCP lawmakers might leave the session, he added, “We do not expect any answers from this government. We at least want to be able to speak. If you allow us to speak, we will stay; otherwise, we will not.”

Nahid Islam then questioned whether the incident could be dismissed as anything other than a sign of deteriorating law and order after a lawmaker’s house had been set on fire.

He said, “Last night, at around midnight, the house in Daulatpur, Kushtia, of our fellow lawmaker Nusrat Tabassum, an NCP MP from a reserved seat for women and nominated by the 11-party alliance, was set on fire. Four petrol bombs were thrown at the house, setting it ablaze. There were livestock on the premises, and some of the animals died in the fire.”

Later, in response to Nahid Islam’s remarks, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said there was no specific evidence of sabotage at Nusrat Tabassum’s house and that the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit.

He said that, after speaking with local residents and law enforcement agencies and assessing the available evidence, investigators had found no indication of an explosion resembling that caused by a petrol bomb or any marks of petrol bombs on the walls.

No witnesses had reported the use of petrol bombs either.

“After reviewing photographs of the scene, the walls and other evidence, it is suspected that, as the house is old and its electrical wiring was weak, the fire may also have been caused by an electrical short circuit. However, this can only be confirmed through a full investigation,” he said.

The Home Minister further said the house, which was abandoned or rarely used, contained some shoemaking equipment and clothes belonging to the caretaker, all of which were damaged in the fire. Two goats also died.

A general diary had already been filed at the police station, and police were investigating the incident accordingly, he added.

Salahuddin Ahmed assured that if further investigation established that an act of sabotage had taken place, strict legal action would be taken against those responsible.

The question-and-answer session continued after the Home Minister’s statement. Later, Nahid Islam again stood up on a point of order.

He said video footage clearly showed that something had been thrown at the house from outside, causing the entire building to catch fire. He also disputed the Home Minister’s description of the property as abandoned.

“The house was not abandoned. It was not a place where livestock were kept. People lived there. People were there last night as well. Nusrat Tabassum’s relatives lived in the house along with the caretaker’s family. People could have died last night,” he said.

Nahid added that Nusrat had been receiving various threats over the phone for several days and had filed a general diary two days before the incident. “None of these incidents is isolated,” he said.

Nahid Islam further alleged that supporters of the ousted fascist forces had celebrated the incident on social media and claimed that the Awami League in Kushtia district had itself accepted responsibility.

“But the Home Minister has come to this Parliament and absolved them of responsibility,” he said.

“We had expected the Home Minister to say how many hours it would take him to identify, arrest and bring the perpetrators to justice. But, unfortunately, he came here in complete denial mode and denied the incident altogether.

“People are dying in bus fires, crude bombs are exploding at universities, a lawmaker’s house is being set on fire, and coordinators are being attacked with machetes. This is the overall picture of Bangladesh today. If the Home Minister continues to deny this incident, we have nothing more to say.”

He said the people of Bangladesh had now seen how the government behaves when the house of an opposition lawmaker and a leader of the mass uprising is set on fire, and what role the government plays in such a situation.

Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal, who was presiding over the session at the time, asked the Home Minister to respond to Nahid’s remarks.

The Home Minister began by saying, “The Opposition Chief Whip said the house was set on fire. But has the investigation already been completed?”

He said the BDR had gone to the scene after receiving the news, while the Fire Service had also arrived and brought the blaze under control.

“The pictures may be clear here. We have collected evidence from every wall, the rooms, the floor, the electrical wiring, the lights, the meter and the exterior of the house,” he said, adding that his information was based on the accounts of local witnesses and those who were nearby.

As the Home Minister spoke, uproar broke out across Parliament. The Deputy Speaker repeatedly intervened but could not restore order.

NCP lawmakers reacted angrily to the Home Minister’s remarks.

Abdul Hannan Masud, MP for Noakhali-6, stood up. The Deputy Speaker called his name several times and asked him to sit down.

From the treasury bench, the Home Minister said the investigation had not yet been completed. From the opposition benches, Nahid Islam challenged Salahuddin Ahmed, asking how he could say the fire had been caused by a short circuit if the investigation was still ongoing.

The exchanges continued for around 15 minutes.

The Deputy Speaker repeatedly urged lawmakers to calm down before Parliament eventually resumed its scheduled business.