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Nahid Islam

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Nahid Islam
নাহিদ ইসলাম
Islam in 2024
Convener of the National Citizen Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
28 February 2025
Preceded byoffice established
Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology
In office
9 August 2024 – 25 February 2025
Chief AdviserMuhammad Yunus
Preceded byZunaid Ahmed Palak (as State Minister)
Succeeded byMuhammad Yunus
Adviser for Information and Broadcasting
In office
16 August 2024 – 25 February 2025
Chief AdviserMuhammad Yunus
Member SecretaryAkhter Hossain
Preceded byMohammad A Arafat (as Minister)
Succeeded byMahfuj Alam
Member Secretary of the Gonotantrik Chhatra Shakti
In office
4 September 2023 – 14 September 2024
ConvenerAkhtar Hossain
Preceded byposition created
Succeeded byorganisation dissolved
Personal details
Born
Muhammad Nahid Islam

1998 (age 26–27)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Political partyNational Citizen Party
Alma mater
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionSocial Activist
Human rights activist
NicknameFahim[1]

Muhammad Nahid Islam (Bengali: মো. নাহিদ ইসলাম; born 1998) is a Bangladeshi politician and student activist who is the convener of National Citizen Party.[2] He was the central key coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination, which led the July Revolution, culminating in prime minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation. He also served as an adviser to the Interim government of Bangladesh between August 2024 and February 2025.[3][4][5] He was named on the Time 100 Next list in 2024.[6][7]

Early life and education

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Muhammad Nahid Islam[8] was born in Dhaka in 1998.[1] His father is a teacher and his mother is a housewife. He completed his SSC 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.[9] His bachelor thesis was on the causes behind the failure of student movements in Bangladesh.[10] He was also a central leader of the Gonotantrik Chhatra Shakti.[11]

Student activism

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Early activism

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As a first year university student in 2017, Nahid protested against a coal-fired power plant close to Sundarbans. In 2019, he formed a student organisation called Gonotantrik Chhatra Shakti (lit. 'Democratic Student Force') in the University of Dhaka along with his peers.[12]

July Revolution

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Quota reform movement

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Nahid was a coordinator for the Students Against Discrimination, 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.[13]

Abduction and detainment

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He gained national attention in mid-July 2024 when he and five other coordinators were detained by the Detective Branch (DB) as the protests escalated.[14] At the midnight of 19 July 2024, he was reportedly taken from a house in Sabujbagh by approximately 25 men in plain clothing.[15][16] 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 21 July he was found unconscious and injured, under a bridge in Purbachal.[15] 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.[17]

The Detective Branch later confirmed that they had taken Nahid and five other coordinators[broken anchor] of the Students Against Discrimination into custody for "safety reasons."[18] 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.[19] However, Nahid later clarified that he had been coerced into making the statement.[20]

Non-cooperation movement

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Shortly, he delivered the one-point demand on behalf of students involved in the movement demanding Hasina's resignation.[21] 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.[22]

Career

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Adviser of the interim government

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Nahid Islam briefing the press as adviser in 2024

On 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.[23][24]

Convener of National Citizen Party

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He resigned as an adviser on February 25 to be the convener of National Citizen Party, with the affiliation of Students Against Discrimination and Jatiya Nagorik Committee.[25] In 28 he was officially designated as the convener of new party.

In his inaugural speech, Islam declared that there would be no place for pro-India or pro-Pakistan politics in Bangladesh and acknowledged that his party would focus on the national interests of Bangladeshi people with a self-reliant economy.[26] He also outlined his party's goal to establish a "new democratic constitution" for the "second republic".[27]

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Nahid Islam-led student group launches political party NCP in Bangladesh". Business Standard. 28 February 2025. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  3. ^ Saad, Muntakim; Islam, Rafiul (9 August 2024). "From students to youngest-ever adviser". The Daily Star.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ Hasnat, Saif; Mashal, Mujib; Bigg, Matthew Mpoke (5 August 2024). "Bangladesh's Leader Resigns and Flees Country After Protests". The New York Times.
  6. ^ Hölzl, Verena (2 October 2024). "2024 TIME100 Next: Nahid Islam". TIME. Archived from the original on 2024-10-03. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  7. ^ "Adviser Nahid makes it to 'TIME100 Next 2024' list". The Business Standard. 3 October 2024. Archived from the original on 5 October 2024.
  8. ^ Regan, Helen (2024-08-06). "Bangladesh's 'Gen Z revolution' toppled a veteran leader. Why did they hit the streets and what happens now?". CNN. Archived from the original on 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  9. ^ "Who is Nahid Islam, soft-spoken sociology student leader behind fall of Bangladesh government". The Times of India. 6 August 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  10. ^ Hölzl, Verena (2024-09-25). "How Nahid Islam Became a Face of Bangladesh's Revolution". TIME. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  11. ^ "সমন্বয়ক থেকে সরকারের উপদেষ্টা কে এই নাহিদ ইসলাম". Daily Jugantor (in Bengali). 8 August 2024. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  12. ^ Hölzl, Verena (2024-09-25). "How Nahid Islam Became a Face of Bangladesh's Revolution". TIME. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  13. ^ Hossain, Akbar; Ethirajan, Anbarasan (17 July 2024). "Deadly unrest over job quotas grips Bangladesh". BBC News. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ a b "Who is Nahid Islam? Student Leader Behind Protests in Bangladesh! Check here!". Jagranjosh.com. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Who Is Nahid Islam, Student Leader Who Led Protests Against Sheikh Hasina". NDTV. 2024-08-06. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  17. ^ "Bangladeshi students allege police torture after protests crackdown". The Guardian. 23 July 2024.
  18. ^ "Quota protest coordinators Asif, Nahid, Baker 'taken into DB custody for security reasons'". The Business Standard. 26 July 2024.
  19. ^ "Six quota coordinators in DB custody 'call off all protest programmes'". The Business Standard. 28 July 2024.
  20. ^ "We were forcibly detained, didn't voluntarily issue movement withdrawal statement". The Daily Star. 2 August 2024.
  21. ^ Hölzl, Verena (2024-10-02). "2024 TIME100 Next: Nahid Islam". TIME. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ "Nahid gets ICT Ministry, Asif to head Sports Ministry". banglanews24.com. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  24. ^ "Who are the possible faces of the interim government of Bangladesh?". The Business Standard. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  25. ^ "উপদেষ্টা পরিষদ থেকে নাহিদের পদত্যাগ". Jamuna Television. 25 February 2025. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  26. ^ "Nahid: No place for pro-India or pro-Pakistan politics in Bangladesh". Dhaka Tribune. 28 February 2025.
  27. ^ Ahmed, Shakib (28 February 2025). "No room for India or Pakistan aligned politics in Bangladesh: Nahid". The Daily Observer.
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Further reading

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