Fire at MP Nusrat's home: probe committee seeks seven more working days as forensic report is delayed

The investigation committee formed by the Home Ministry has sought seven more working days to submit its report on the fire at the ancestral home of Nusrat Tabassum, joint convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and a member of parliament from a reserved women's seat, in Kushtia. The extension was requested because the forensic report on samples collected from the scene has not yet been received.

Ahmed Mahbub-ul-Islam, chief of the investigation committee and deputy director of the Local Government Division in Kushtia, confirmed the matter at around 2:30pm on Sunday. He said the committee members met at the Kushtia Circuit House at 12 noon, where it was unanimously decided to seek seven more working days in the interest of the investigation.

Ahmed Mahbub-ul-Islam said several samples had been collected from the scene and the forensic report on them was being delayed. Once the report is in hand, he said, it will be combined with other information and data and the final investigation report will be submitted to the Home Ministry.

Earlier, on Thursday, the Home Ministry formed the four-member investigation committee and directed it to submit its report within three days. Ahmed Mahbub-ul-Islam was made the committee's chief.

The other members of the committee are Major Asrarul Haque, additional director (operations) of the BGB's Kushtia sector; Delwar Hossain, Kushtia's additional superintendent of police (Bheramara circle); and Wadud Hossain, assistant director of the Kushtia office of the Fire Service and Civil Defence.

The fire broke out on Wednesday night at Nusrat Tabassum's ancestral home in Bagoan village of Daulatpur upazila in Kushtia. She filed a case with Daulatpur police station alleging an attempt to kill her family members through fire and explosion.

Earlier, after the fire, Tozammel Haque, deputy general manager (AGM) of the Pragpur Palli Bidyut sub-zone office, inspected the burnt house. He said at the time that the meter, the main switch connected to the meter and the cutout had been examined; the cutout was found intact, and the transformer fuse had not blown either.