A fire that gutted five rooms of NCP Joint Convener and reserved-seat MP Nusrat Tabassum’s ancestral home in Kushtia’s Daulatpur upazila early Thursday has sparked a fierce political blame game, with the party alleging a petrol bomb attack by Awami League activists, while the government says preliminary findings point to an electrical short circuit.
The blaze broke out around 12:20 am at the lawmaker’s village home in Baguanara village, according to officials. Five rooms of the tin-shed, semi-concrete house were destroyed, and two goats perished in the fire . No human casualties were reported, though the NCP later claimed a child from the caretaker’s family was injured .
The NCP media cell quickly went on the offensive, accusing “Awami League goons” of hurling petrol bombs at the property . MP Tabassum herself alleged in a Facebook post that petrol bombs were thrown, vowing that such attacks would not silence her . At a press conference later, she claimed CCTV footage showed four consecutive explosions around 12:15 am and directly blamed the banned Awami League .
However, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told parliament that a joint investigation by police, BGB, Fire Service, and the civil administration had been ordered, but preliminary findings found no evidence of petrol bombs . He said no witnesses reported hearing an explosion consistent with a petrol bomb, and no signs of such a device were found on the walls . Instead, he pointed to old electrical wiring and a photograph indicating a possible short circuit as the likely cause .
The conflicting narratives triggered uproar in the Jatiya Sangsad, with Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam accusing the home minister of dismissing the attack claim without forensic tests . Police confirmed no formal case has been filed yet, and the Fire Service’s report is still pending .