A gang of unidentified miscreants tried to kill the Jahangirnagar University (JU) correspondent of the Prothom Alo by setting fire to his room after locking its door from outside on Wednesday night.

The gang set fire to the room of Nur Siddique, a master's student of drama and dramatics, at Al Beruni hall through the window half an hour after he went to bed at 2:00pm.

The miscreants first set a bed near the window on fire and then locked the door from outside while Nur was sleeping on another bed in the two-bed room.

The fire soon engulfed half of the room and smoke filled the air, suffocating Nur who woke up only to find the door was locked. Hearing his scream, Sohel, a master's student of geology, along with others rushed to the scene and rescued Nur and extinguished the blaze.

Nur, however, did not receive any injury. Mosquito-curtain, windowcurtain, bed cover, quilt and two pillows were burnt in the fire.

"The miscreants made such attacks on me as they are dissatisfied over my professional activities," said Nur in his written complaint submitted to the vice-chancellor.

The university authorities filed a

general diary with Ashulia Thana police in this connection.

"We are taking the incident very seriously," said VC Prof Khandakar Mustahidur Rahman.

Jahangirnagar University Teachers Association, Jahangirnagar Shangskritik Jote, Jahangirnagar University Journalists Association, Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum and Bangladesh Chhatra League condemned the attack and demanded punishment of the persons responsible.