Meantime, a senior assistant judge of a Barisal court, Chowdhury Hafizur Rahman, now studying law in London resigned yesterday to protest the killing of two judges in Jhalakathi on November 14.

The judge told the BBC Radio Bangla Service last night that the 'intolerable situation' prevailing in Bangladesh after the killings had prompted him to resign.

'The killing is not a small incident, it was an attempt to destroy the judiciary of the country as well as an attack on the country's sovereignty,' he said, adding, 'The judges cannot be protected by deploying armed bodyguards.'

TANGAIL
Our Tangail correspondent reports that the JMB in a hand-written letter on Monday threatened to blow up the Tangail Press Club in seven days. They also threatened to kill the journalists of the district with grenade attacks. The letter triggered panic among local journalists.

Addressed to the president and the secretary of the press club the letter was sent by post and mentioned that the sender had received instruction from his high command also to blow up in seven days the police stations in North Tangail.

After receiving the letter Monday night, journalists of Tangail held an emergency meeting in the press club auditorium.

HABIGANJ
In another letter sent to the deputy commissioner (DC) and to the police super of Habiganj on Monday night the JMB threatened to blow up the judge court and the DC office in the district if any harm was done to JMB member Shamim also son of former District Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh Maolana Saidur Rahman, reports BDNEWS.

SP Mili Biswas told BDNEWS that the sender's name was not on the letter.

Shamim was arrested from a computer shop at Tinkona Pukur Par area in the district town on September 7.

SIRAJGANJ
Our Sirajganj correspondent reports that the JMB in a letter to Sirajganj Municipality Executive Engineer Salam Mia threatened to kill him along with his family members in a short time.

The sender of the letter introduced him as a regional commander of the banned organisation and asked the engineer not to inform the matter to the police.

The letter accused the engineer of being corrupt and of taking bribes.

Additional police was deployed at the municipality office to ensure security for the panicked officials.

PATUAKHALI
The same militant outfit threatened to kill Upazila Magistrate AKM Mamunur Rashid at Kalapara in Patuakhali, reports BDNEWS.

Meanwhile, Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge AKM Anwar Hossain was provided with police security yesterday as a number of sensational cases are pending in his court.

After the killing of two judges in Jhalakathi on November 14, Judge Anwar Hossain demanded police security, news agency UNB reports.