In a text message yesterday, country's preeminent intellectual Professor Anisuzzaman was threatened with death.

"Why do you support and uphold the rude bloggers? Do you like to die with a blow of Chapati [machete] at your last gasp?" reads the SMS, written in English.

In the text message, 01738725815 appeared as the sender's number.

"I received the threat message on my mobile phone at 4:33pm today [Tuesday] and later informed Deputy Commissioner Mustak Ahmed of Gulshan Zone [of Dhaka Metropolitan Police] about it," the professor emeritus of Dhaka University told The Daily Star yesterday evening.

A general diary was filed with Gulshan Police Station last night.

For his contribution to education and Bangla literature, Prof Anisuzzaman has received numerous accolades including Bangla Academy Award, Ekushey Padak, Independence Award and Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award of India.