Dhaka, Nov 15 (bdnews24.com)--The Dhaka University's vice chancellor received death threats on Sunday from banned Islamist outfit Hizb ut-Tahrir.

The organisation in two letters asked A A M S Arefin Siddique to reinstate central coordinator of the outfit and spokesman professor Mohiuddin Ahmed to his position in the university without delay.

He has also been asked to take steps for releasing arrested relatives of some of the convicts in the Bangabandhu murder case.

The university's assistant registrar Munshi Shamsuddin told bdnews24.com the letters arrived between 1pm and 1:30pm on Sunday; one was posted on Nov 10 and the other on Nov 11.

One letter reads: "Don't involve Hizb ut-Tahrir's Mohiuddin in any trouble. And reinstate the three teachers sent on forced leave within three days. Or else, we will kill you and your family. No one can save you."

The letter is undersigned as Abdul Hamid, president of Hizb ut-Tahrir's committee of registrar building officials.

The acting registrar, Syed Rezaur Rahman, could not immediately confirm the identity of anyone working in the administrative building with this name. But he said they were seriously looking into the matter.

The government banned Hizbut Tahrir in Bangladesh on Oct 22, saying the Islamist outfit posed a threat to national security. Dhaka University syndicate sent associate professor Mohiuddin Ahmed of the Institute of Business Administration on compulsory leave from Oct 25 until further notice "to maintain peace on campus".

The letters claimed that Hizb ut Tahrir has 200 trained members.

The other letter under signed by the same asked for removal of all barriers regarding admission of madrasa students in the university. It also asked the vice-chancellor to get the government to release Mehnaz Rashid, Kamrul Haque Swapan and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami leader Mufti Abdul Hannan.

The letter also has a phone number which the vice-chancellor has to contact at with Tk 2 crore to avert being killed.

Mehnaz Rashid, daughter of death convict Abdur Rashid in the Bangabandhu murder case, and Swapan, brother of another fugitive death convict Shariful Haque Dalim, were arrested recently over alleged involvements in the bomb attack on Awami League MP Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh.

HuJi Leader Mufti Hannan is standing trial for bombing prime minister Sheikh Hasina's meeting on Aug 21, 2004.

The bomb attack occurred on Oct 21 while hearing of appeals by death convicts was ongoing. Attorney general Mahbubey Alam also received death threat during the hearings.

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