Opposition delegation says 'short-circuit story' in Nusrat's house fire is false; Palli Bidyut found no evidence of short-circuit

A fresh controversy has erupted over the fire that destroyed the village home of Nusrat Tabassum, a member of parliament from the reserved women's seat and a leader of the National Citizens' Party (NCP). An opposition delegation from the Jatiya Sangsad has claimed that the government's explanation of a 'short-circuit and abandoned house' is untrue, while the rural electricity authority has said it found no evidence of a short-circuit.

Opposition delegation's visit and statement

On Friday (November 13), a four-member opposition delegation traveled from Dhaka to Bagoyan village in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia to inspect Nusrat Tabassum's residence. The delegation comprised NCP MPs Abdullah Al Amin (Narayanganj-4) and Mahmuda Alam Mitu (reserved women's seat), along with Jamaat-e-Islami MPs Masud Parvez Russell (Chuadanga-1) and Abdul Gafur (Kushtia-2).

After touring the burnt house, the delegation held a press conference. NCP Joint Convener and MP Abdullah Al Amin stated that the government had concocted the 'false story of a short-circuit and abandoned house' to cover up its failure in maintaining law and order. He demanded a thorough investigation into the actual cause of the incident and swift legal action against those responsible.

Palli Bidyut's position

Meanwhile, the rural electricity authority (Palli Bidyut Samity) has reported that they found no evidence of a short-circuit in the fire at Nusrat Tabassum's home. According to a report by Samakal, citing the authority, preliminary investigations have not yielded any proof of an electrical short-circuit. However, a detailed investigative report from the authority has not yet been made public.

Next steps in the investigation

The incident has sparked strong political reactions, with opposition parties demanding that those involved be identified and prosecuted. No official investigative report has been released by government agencies so far. Attention now remains focused on the findings of the separate probes being conducted by law enforcement agencies and the rural electricity authority.