A man, identifying himself as a member of Islamic State of Bangladesh, has threatened to kill Gonojagoron Moncho spokesperson Imran H Sarker.
Araf Al-Islam threatened by saying that Imran would be killed like the two foreign nationals, who had been murdered in Dhaka and Rangpur in late September and early October.
Imran, on his official Facebook page, wrote Saturday noon that he had contacted the officer-in-charge of Shahbagh police station after he had been threatened.
“I will file a general diary with the police station in the evening seeking security. I do not fear such threats and the people who are doing this are the enemies of the state,” his status read.
He said those who had threatened him should be identified and subjected to punishment.
“I am respectful of law and also urge all in the society to get ready and take preparations for fighting such extremist groups. We should unite forgetting all the barriers for taking action against such evil powers,” Imran wrote.
He also shared a screenshot of the Facebook text message sent to threaten him and said the person issuing the threat used mobile internet. “Mymensingh's Ananda Mohan College appeared as Araf's address.”
Militant outfit Islamic State claimed responsibility for the killings of the two foreigners – a Japanese and an Italian - but the government rejected the claim, and also asserted that Islamic State has no existence in the country.
Imran was also threatened in May along with several others, including Dhaka University Vice-chancellor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Adviser HT Imam.
Abu Bakkar Siddique, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that Imran had filed a general diary in the afternoon.
“We have taken the matter seriously and an investigation has been launched,” he added.
