The victim, Abdul Alim, 35, was rushed to Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital with several stab injuries.

Sources said a group of 10 armed assailants swooped on Alim at Binodpur bazar near the university at 9:30pm as he was on his way home from the teachers' club.

Locals rushed to the scene hearing Alim's scream and rescued him while the attackers fled.

Alim, his relatives and colleagues told reporters that Shibir, student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, might have orchestrated the attack as Alim refused to join their party.

Sources said many teachers were recently appointed in different departments of the university following lobbying of Jamaat-Shibir leaders, but they later refused to work for the parties.

Alim and two other teachers--law department Chairman Prof Rabiul Islam and Prof Zulfikar Ahmed--were threatened with death 10 days ago for not attending Shibir meetings and giving tolls, sources said.

Shibir also threatened the department teachers in a letter saying the teachers will face dire consequences if "brilliant" students loyal to Shibir are not awarded first class marks in the MA courses.

Prof Zulfikar lodged complaints with the university authorities twice about the Shibir threats and sought security.

Prof Rabiul said they will hold an emergency meeting today to decide their next steps following the attack on Alim.

Meanwhile, Alim was yet to file any complaint with the police but he informed the university authority of the incident.

"I will get myself released from hospital soon because I am feeling insecure here," he told newsmen.

University Proctor Enamul Haque told The Daily Star, "Policemen have been deployed at Alim's residence. We are also thinking about the security of other teachers of the university...Alim will have to file a case first in this regard."

Motihar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mizanur Rahman acknowledged the incident and said the police visited and raided Binodpur area to catch the criminals last night.

None was, however, arrested as of filing of this report at 7:00pm.

On February 1, 2006, armed Shibir activists killed geology and mining department senior teacher Prof S Taher Ahmed at his campus residence.

In 2004, a group of fanatics stabbed economics professor Muhammad Yunus to death.