A few cadres of JMJB commander Bangla Bhai went to Mokbul Hossain Mridha's house in Sripur seven days ago and asked him to leave his party, said a cousin of Mridha.

Local AL leaders claimed the JMJB cadres have also threatened three other UP chairman in Bagmara with death unless they quit their party.

"Mridha is an important personality in the upazila unit AL, although he was just a union unit president. That's why the JMJB targeted him," said Ashraful Islam, Mridha's brother.

"The attack was planned by ruling BNP-Jamaat as part of their design to eliminate the AL," Mridha told The Daily Star at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital.

Local photographer Alam said a popular figure, Mridha won at all the nine centres in Sreepur UP election in 2002. "His popularity is the reason behind the attempt on him," he said.

A source, however, said the JMJB cadres demanded Tk 5 lakh toll from Mridha seven days ago and he was attacked for his refusal.

Ashraful denied the allegation. He accused more than 20 people including a few influential BNP leaders of Sreepur and a JMJB cadre of the attempt.

Bagmara AL leader Anil Kumar Sarkar said Bhabaniganj Municipal Chairman Khoda Bux, Kachhari Koalipara Union Parishad Chairman Ayen Uddin and Maria Union Parishad Chairman Akbar Hossain were also threatened with death in a week.

The JMJB cadres told them to leave the AL or face death or dire consequences, Anil said.