Nahid Islam (Bengali: নাহিদ ইসলাম; born 1998) is a Bangladeshi student activist who serves as an adviser to the 2024 Bangladesh interim government.[2][3] He is a key coordinator of the Anti-discrimination Students Movement, which led the Student–People's uprising, ultimately resulting in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation.[4] He was named on the Time 100 Next list in 2024.[5][6]
Nahid Islam | |
|---|---|
নাহিদ ইসলাম | |
 Nahid Islam in 2024 | |
| Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology | |
| Assumed office 9 August 2024 | |
| Chief Adviser | Muhammad Yunus |
| Preceded by | Zunaid Ahmed Palak |
| Adviser for Information and Broadcasting | |
| Assumed office 16 August 2024 | |
| Chief Adviser | Muhammad Yunus |
| Preceded by | Mohammad A Arafat |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1998 (age 25–26) Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Adviser |
| Profession | Social Activist Human rights activist |
| Nickname | Fahim[1] |
Early life and education
editIslam was born in Dhaka in 1998.[1] His father is a teacher and his mother is a housewife. He completed his Secondary School Certificate from St. Joseph Higher Secondary School and Higher Secondary Certificate from Govt. Science College in Tejgaon. He studied at the Department of Sociology at the University of Dhaka.[7]
Activism
editNahid is a coordinator for the Anti-discrimination Students Movement, which organized protests advocating for quota reforms in government jobs. The movement later expanded into a non-cooperation campaign demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government.[8] He gained national attention in mid-July 2024 when he and five other coordinators were detained by the Detective Branch as the protests escalated.[9]
Following the resignation and departure of Hasina to India, Nahid stated that their objectives were not fully achieved. The group then aimed to "abolish fascist systems forever" and called on Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus to lead an interim government, which Yunus agreed to.[10]
Career
editOn August 9, 2024, Nahid was appointed as Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology to the interim government. Subsequently, on August 16, 2024, he was also assigned the role of Adviser to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.[11][12]
Abduction and detainment
editNahid was reportedly taken from a house in Sabujbagh by approximately 25 men in plain clothing at midnight on July 19, 2024.[13][14] He was blindfolded, handcuffed, and transported to a location where he was questioned about his involvement in the student movement and subjected to mistreatment. On July 21, he was found unconscious and injured, under a bridge in Purbachal.[13] On July 26, he was apprehended at Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in Dhanmondi by individuals identifying themselves as members of various intelligence agencies, including the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Detective Branch.[15]
The Detective Branch later confirmed that they had taken Nahid and five other coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Students Movement into custody for "safety reasons."[16] Subsequently, Nahid and other coordinators issued a statement from the Detective Branch headquarters, urging the protesters to call off the demonstrations, citing that the movement's main objective of reforming the quotas had been achieved.[17] However, Nahid later clarified that he had been coerced into making the statement.[18]
References
edit- ^ a b "উপদেষ্টা নাহিদ ইসলাম সম্পর্কে জেনে নিন আরও কিছু তথ্য". Daily Kalbela (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
- ^ Saad, Muntakim; Islam, Rafiul (9 August 2024). "From students to youngest-ever advisers". The Daily Star.
- ^ "Who is Nahid Islam, student who led protests that ousted Sheikh Hasina and is part of interim Bangladesh govt?". Firstpost. 6 August 2024. Archived from the original on 27 August 2024.
- ^ Hasnat, Saif; Mashal, Mujib; Bigg, Matthew Mpoke (5 August 2024). "Bangladesh's Leader Resigns and Flees Country After Protests". The New York Times.
- ^ Hölzl, Verena (2024-10-02). "2024 TIME100 Next: Nahid Islam". TIME. Archived from the original on 2024-10-03. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Adviser Nahid makes it to 'TIME100 Next 2024' list". The Business Standard. 3 October 2024. Archived from the original on 5 October 2024.
- ^ "Who is Nahid Islam, soft-spoken sociology student leader behind fall of Bangladesh government". The Times of India. 2024-08-06. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ Hossain, Akbar; Ethirajan, Anbarasan (17 July 2024). "Deadly unrest over job quotas grips Bangladesh". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
- ^ Paul, Ruma; Das, Krishna N. (6 August 2024). "Who is Nahid Islam, student leader of campaign to oust PM Sheikh Hasina?". Reuters. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ Yee, Isaac; Ripon, Tanbirul Miraj (5 August 2024). "Bangladesh prime minister flees to India as anti-government protesters storm her residence". CNN. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ "Nahid gets ICT Ministry, Asif to head Sports Ministry". banglanews24.com. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ "Who are the possible faces of the interim government of Bangladesh?". The Business Standard. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Who is Nahid Islam? Student Leader Behind Protests in Bangladesh! Check here!". Jagranjosh.com. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
- ^ "Who Is Nahid Islam, Student Leader Who Led Protests Against Sheikh Hasina". NDTV. 2024-08-06. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
- ^ "Bangladeshi students allege police torture after protests crackdown". The Guardian. 23 July 2024.
- ^ "Quota protest coordinators Asif, Nahid, Baker 'taken into DB custody for security reasons'". The Business Standard. 26 July 2024.
- ^ "Six quota coordinators in DB custody 'call off all protest programmes'". The Business Standard. 28 July 2024.
- ^ "We were forcibly detained, didn't voluntarily issue movement withdrawal statement". The Daily Star. 2 August 2024.
External links
edit
Quotations related to Nahid Islam at Wikiquote
Media related to Nahid Islam at Wikimedia Commons
Further reading
edit- Hölzl, Verena (24 September 2024). "How Nahid Islam Became a Face of Bangladesh's Student Revolution". Time (magazine). Retrieved 6 October 2024.
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "Nahid Islam: How 26-year-old student broke Sheikh Hasina's grip on Bangladesh". Hindustan Times. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.