An expatriate Bangladeshi journalist has filed an official complaint with law enforcement authorities after receiving a terrifying death threat at his ancestral residence in Kushtia’s Bheramara Upazila. Hassan Imam Ibne Habib reported that an anonymous letter, signed under the extremist banner of “Tawhidi Janata”, was slipped onto his property, warning him to cease his journalistic output and social commentary immediately or face lethal consequences.
Following the discovery of the letter, Habib lodged a formal General Diary (GD) with the Bheramara Police Station on Wednesday, 26 August, requesting urgent police protection and an immediate security assessment for his household.
Details recorded in the official police complaint state that the threat was delivered during the early hours of Wednesday morning. Perpetrators slipped a plain, unlabelled envelope beneath the primary entry gate of Habib’s family home in Himidia village, situated within Bheramara Upazila. Relatives residing at the residence discovered the envelope shortly after daybreak and immediately alerted the journalist.
The typed contents of the letter specifically targeted Habib’s investigative articles, public commentary, and social media postings, expressing intense hostility over his critical Facebook updates. Asserting that they were maintaining active surveillance over his physical movements and digital activities, the anonymous authors issued a clear ultimatum to halt all writing, explicitly threatening physical elimination should he fail to comply.
Habib, who works in international media abroad whilst remaining an active commentator on socio-political affairs in Bangladesh, voiced grave concern for the safety of his family members living at the Himidia property. The threat, coupled with claims of ongoing physical surveillance, has generated widespread alarm among local residents and press circles across Kushtia district.
Bheramara Police Station authorities confirmed that an official investigation was initiated immediately after recording the General Diary. Senior officers visited the scene to examine the delivery point, inspect the physical letter and envelope for forensic evidence, and assess security vulnerabilities around the property. Station officers confirmed that patrol frequency around the journalist’s ancestral home has been increased whilst detective units work to trace the origins of the letter and identify the individuals behind the intimidation.
Extortion and intimidation aimed at media professionals under pseudo-religious banners such as “Tawhidi Janata” present an ongoing threat to press freedom across Bangladesh. Overseas journalists and independent analysts regularly face targeted surveillance and harassment when their published work challenges religious fundamentalism or local political power structures. Media rights groups and regional press associations in Kushtia have called upon state authorities to conduct a rigorous investigation, identify those responsible, and safeguard journalists and their families from targeted violence.
