We are profoundly shocked and saddened

We are deeply shocked at the death of Ganatantri Party leader Nurul Islam following a severe fire incident at his residence. His passing away, coming a day after the instant death of his young son in the same tragedy, leaves us in a mood of grave trepidation. Nurul Islam, a candidate for the forthcoming Jatiya Sangsad elections from the Awami League-led grand alliance, had in a long career of politics and trade unionism, earned the respect of many through his dedication to the causes he believed in. His death leaves politics a good deal poorer than it has been.
We note that moments before he lapsed into unconsciousness, Nurul Islam spoke of the threats he had been receiving over telephone once he was given the nomination for the Noakhali-1 constituency. That can only lead to the question: who are the individuals or quarters that have been trying to intimidate Islam over his candidacy? The answer to that will depend on how soon and how effectively an inquiry is conducted into the fire incident and the cause and effect relationship firmly established. The fact of the matter is that the tragedy has raised a number of questions that remain unanswered. There is the sense of mystery surrounding the incident and, unless a purposeful investigation is undertaken over the matter, we might face the sad possibility of the entire sordid episode fizzling out into amnesia. It is, therefore, important that Nurul Islam's comments after the incident be followed through, the pressing need being to plumb the depths of the mystery.
In a society where violence has all too often marred the higher purpose of politics, incidents such as the one in question can easily have sinister implications. We have collectively experienced situations where ulterior motives have governed thinking in certain quarters as they have striven to attain political goals. The death of a veteran politician and trade union leader like Nurul Islam and the sudden snuffing out of the life of his promising son leave us profoundly saddened. We do feel, with the rest of the country, that in order for public misgivings over the incident to be allayed, a thorough, wholesale investigation is now an absolute necessity.