Rajshahi: Ansar Al Islam, the Bangladesh chapter of al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent, has issued death threats to eight distinguished and political personalities of the district.

The threat was issued in a letter written on the pad of the militant outfit. The letter reached local newspaper the Dainik Sunshine on Monday morning, said managing editor of the daily Yunus Ali.

Those received the death threats are State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, Rajshahi University Vice-Chancellor Mizanuddin, renowned fiction writer and RU teacher Hasan Azizul Haq, city Awami League president and former city mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Rajshahi Range DIG Iqbal Bahar, Rajshahi Education Board’s former chairman Abul Hayat, city Awami League general secretary Dablu Sarker and Dainik Sunshine managing editor Yunus Ali.

The letter was signed by Mufti Abdullah Ashraf, chief of Ansar Al Islam’s Indian subcontinent chapter, and Rajshahi region chief coordinator Habibur Rahman, also a Rajshahi College teacher.

However, the name of Abu Siddique, a professor, was used on the envelope as the sender of the letter.

The letter reads: ‘Alhamdulliah…we’ve begun our activities in the Rajshahi sub-chapter of Bangladesh branch. As part of it, we’ve made a brief list of worst enemies of Allah, Rasul and Muslims in the Rajshahi region. Each of them will be killed to establish dwin [religion] of Allah and Rasul.’

Two general diaries were lodged with Boalia Police Station in connection with the life threat.

AHM Khairuzzaman Liton and Dablu Sarker filed one of the GDs while Yunus Ali another, said police.

Meanwhile, Prof Habibur Rahman denied his involvement with the militant outfit, saying a quarter is using his name to put him in trouble.

Contacted, DIG Iqbal Bahar said they will unearth the source of the letter if those received the threat inform the administration.