Staff Reporter :Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique and Professor Muhammad Zafar Iqbal on Thursday expressed deep concern over the death threat issued to them by ‘al-Qaeda’ – Ansarullah Bangla Team: 13.’ The Ansarullah Bangla Team gave such threat to 10 people through letters on Wednesday. Arefin Siddique and Zafar Iqbal termed the threat as ‘bad signal’ and demanded arrest and exemplary punishment to those responsible for dispatching letters. In this regard, a case has also been filed with the Shahbagh Police Station, said Dhaka University Proctor Professor Amzad Ali. Arefin Siddique said it was an unexpected incident. It is not good signal. He said that he received the letter by post around 11:30am on Wednesday. The letter contained a list of several noted personalities, “We have been threatened with death,” he said.He demanded identification and arrest of the senders. “They should be given exemplary punishment after hunting them down by the intelligence agencies,” he said.Zafar Iqbal said, the life threat by Ansarullah Bangla Team is a bad signal. Such incidents of threat are increasing day by day in the country. The law enforcing agencies should trace and take step to stop the incidents, he said. “You (extremists) may dislike anyone’s opinion or writings. You can answer by placing your opinion or writings. You should not issue any letter to the dignitaries. No religion also supports it. It is also the violation of the country’s law,” Zafar Iqbal said. He said, “The government is yet to identify the killers of Avijit and Ananta. The perpetrators killed them. The killers sent SMS, gave threat, patrolled near their houses and followed them before killing. But perhaps the law enforcing agencies were not alert enough.”The letters, containing a list of 10, were apparently sent by ‘al-Qaeda (sic) – Ansarullah Bangla Team: 13’.Prime Minister’s Political Affairs Adviser HT Imam’s name was on the top of the list.The others include Ganajagaran Mancha spokesman Imran H Sarker, writer-teacher Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Dhaka University teacher Kaberi Gayen, Jagannath Hall Provost Ashim Sarker and Awami League MP Tarana Halim. HT Imam was termed ‘Anti-Islam Adviser’ in the letter while Siddique as ‘I. Dushmon (enemy) VC’.The others named in the letter are Bikash Saha, Iqbalur Rahim and Paltan Sutar.Ashim Sarker told The New Nation that he was worried after getting the letter. “My name is at number four of the list. I have been branded as Hindu fundamentalist and marked with red ink to issue the death threat.”
