An expatriate Bangladeshi journalist has lodged a formal complaint with the police after receiving a chilling death threat at his ancestral home in Kushtia’s Bheramara Upazila. The victim, Hassan Imam Ibne Habib, reported that an anonymous letter signed under the banner of “Tawhidi Janata” was dropped at his residence, warning him to cease his journalistic and commentary activities immediately or face lethal consequences.
Following the terrifying discovery, Habib filed an official General Diary (GD) with the Bheramara Police Station on Wednesday, 26 August, seeking law enforcement intervention and immediate security for his family.
According to the details outlined in the police report, the threat delivered in the early hours of Wednesday morning was slipped inside a plain envelope underneath the main entrance gate of his family residence in Himidia village, located under Bheramara Upazila. Family members discovered the envelope shortly after daybreak and promptly brought it to the journalist’s attention.
The typed letter explicitly singled out Habib’s public commentary, social media updates, and investigative write-ups, expressing deep resentment and anger over his published views on Facebook. The perpetrators claimed to be closely monitoring his everyday movements and online activities, issuing a direct ultimatum to halt all critical commentary, failing which he would face physical elimination.
Habib, who works as a journalist overseas while maintaining a strong online presence on social and political issues in Bangladesh, expressed severe concern for the safety of his family members residing at the Himidia home. The sinister warning, combined with explicit surveillance claims, has spread anxiety across the local community and media circles in Kushtia.
Police authorities in Bheramara have launched an enquiry into the incident after registering the General Diary. Investigating officers visited the premises to inspect the envelope, review available physical evidence, and determine how the intruders managed to access the residential gate undetected. Local police confirmed that vigilance has been stepped up around the journalist’s ancestral home, with efforts underway to identify the individuals behind the anonymous threat.
Intimidation of media professionals under pseudo-religious banners such as “Tawhidi Janata” represents a growing threat to press freedom and independent journalism in Bangladesh. Expatriate writers and analysts frequently become targets of surveillance and intimidation campaign tactics when their commentary challenges radical groups or local political interests. Media rights organizations and local journalists in Kushtia have called for a swift and comprehensive investigation to unmask the perpetrators and uphold the security of working journalists both at home and abroad.
