Govt using short-circuit story to cover up failure over Nusrat's house fire: Opposition MPs

Opposition lawmakers have accused the government of using an electrical short-circuit explanation to cover up its failure to maintain law and order following a fire at the family home of National Citizen Party (NCP) MP Nusrat Tabassum in Kushtia.

They made the allegations while speaking to journalists after visiting the fire-damaged house on Friday, according to an NCP press release.

"The government has completely failed to maintain law and order. Now it is using false stories about a short circuit and an abandoned house to cover up that failure," NCP lawmaker Abdullah Al Amin said.

Al Amin, an NCP joint convener, visited the house alongside fellow party lawmaker Dr Mahmuda Alam Mitu and Jamaat-e-Islami MP Abdul Gafur.

The fire broke out around 12:20am on Thursday at Tabassum's ancestral home in Baguan village of Daulatpur upazila. Five rooms were gutted, and two goats were killed in the blaze.

Tabassum alleged that Awami League supporters carried out a petrol bomb attack. However, police and firefighters reported finding no evidence of petrol bombs or explosives at the scene.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told parliament on Thursday that preliminary findings suggested an electrical short circuit as a possible cause, although investigators had yet to reach a conclusion.

However, a Palli Bidyut official has ruled out an electrical short circuit as the likely cause of the fire, contradicting an earlier suggestion by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed.

A Criminal Investigation Department (CID) forensic team also visited the house and collected evidence, while the Fire Service launched its own inquiry.

"The home minister is talking about an electrical short circuit even before an investigation has been conducted. He is describing a house where people live as abandoned," Al Amin said.

"If he has already declared it a short circuit, it is easy to understand what the investigation report will say."

Al Amin said the parliamentary delegation would prepare a report on its visit and make the findings public.

Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Abdul Gafur also criticised the government's handling of the incident.

"The government has failed to ensure people's security. The law and order situation has deteriorated severely," he said.

He said the home minister's statements in parliament did not reflect the actual situation.

NCP lawmaker Dr Mahmuda Alam Mitu accused the home minister of attempting to downplay the incident to avoid responsibility for security failures.

She alleged that a fugitive leader of the Bangladesh Chhatra League's Kushtia district unit had repeatedly issued threats on Facebook and posted messages claiming responsibility for the fire.

Mitu questioned why police had not arrested those allegedly making the threats.

Nusrat Tabassum also reiterated her suspicion that Awami League supporters were behind the incident.

"I still believe this is the work of the Awami League. Their claims of responsibility, celebrations and social media posts have strengthened my belief," she said.

Tabassum filed an attempted murder case with Daulatpur Police Station on Thursday night against eight named individuals and 25 to 30 unidentified people.

She said she had provided police with a suspect's location, mobile phone number and other information but had yet to see significant progress.

"I expected to see visible progress within a short time, but we have yet to see any results," she said.

NCP Media Secretary Yasir Arafat moderated the press conference.

Party leaders Shakil Ahmed, Wahiduzzaman and Saeeda Jannat attended the press conference among others.