Now Hasan Azizul gets death threat

Eminent fiction writer Hasan Azizul Haque yesterday received a death threat from an unknown caller over the phone reportedly for his views on freedom of expression.

The call was made at 4:30pm when he was resting at his home, Haque told this correspondent.

Haque lives with his two daughters in a house at Bihash, a small housing plot owned by university teachers near Rajshahi University.

"The caller asked me if I would change. I asked him back how I would change and what exactly I should change about myself," Hasan continued.

"Then I wanted to know who he was and asked him to meet me in person if he needed to talk. But the caller, in reply, said, 'So, you'll not change. Then prepare yourself for death," he said.

Hasan cut the call after this. "I was so shocked!" he said, adding no number was seen on the mobile phone screen.

Asked about the reasons behind the threat, an outraged Hasan said he had no idea. He demanded law enforcement agencies immediately find out the caller.

Hasan Azizul Haque, a former philosophy professor at Rajshahi University, is the most revered and celebrated living fiction writer both in Bangladesh and West Bengal. In a literary career spanning over five decades, he has written several novels and short story collections. His fiction, among other things, mainly deals with the struggle of the most marginal social groups including refugees, farmers and women. He retired in 2004.

This was the second time he was threatened with death. In 2005, Islami Chhatra Shibir activists had said they would kill Hasan by cutting him into pieces and then they'd throw the pieces away in the Padma. 

Referring to the first threat that he had received for his strong criticism of violence carried out by religious extremists, Hasan's colleagues and friends believe his strong stance on the recent killings of bloggers and progressive publishers may have caused this.

“Although most of what he has written is fiction, he's been outspoken about his support for freedom of people and freethinking. He is one of the frontliners of progressive ideology. There are reasons to believe that he would be threatened for his views on freethinking”, said Prof Abul Kashem, a senior Rajshahi University professor close to Haque.

Sushanto Chandra Roy, assistant commissioner of detective branch of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, said they had not yet received any complaint in this connection. "But we've sent police officials to his house to look into the matter," he said.

Humayun Kabir, officer-in-charge of Motihar police station, who visited his home in the evening told this correspondent, “We've already begun our investigation although the professor told police that he would file a general diary tomorrow morning."