Nahid Islam ( bn, নাহিদ ইসলাম; born 1998) is a

Bangladeshi Bangladeshis ( bn, বাংলাদেশী ) are the citizens of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centered on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the eponymous bay. Bangladeshi citizenship was formed in 1971, when the ...

student activist who serves as an advisor to the 2024 Bangladesh interim government. He is a key coordinator of the Anti-discrimination Students Movement, which led the 2024 Bangladesh quota reform and non-cooperation movements, ultimately resulting in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation.

Early life and education

Islam was born in Dhaka in 1998. His father is a teacher and his mother is a housewife. He completed his SSC from St. Joseph Higher Secondary School and HSC from Govt. Science College in Tejgaon. He studied from the Department of Sociology at the University of Dhaka.

Activism

Nahid 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. He gained national attention in mid-July 2024 when he and five other coordinators were detained by the Detective Branch as the protests escalated. 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 A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, or a transitional government, is an emergency governmental authority set up to manage a political transition generally in the cases of a newly formed state or f ...

, which Yunus agreed to.

Career

Nahid was sworn in as an adviser for information and communications technology to the

Abduction and detainment

Nahid was reportedly taken from a house in

Sabujbagh Sabujbagh ( bn, সবুজবাগ) is a Thana of Dhaka District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Geography Sabujbagh is located at . It has 65517 households and total area 18.18 km2. Demographics At the 1991 Bangladesh census, Sa ...

by approximately 25 men in plainclothes at midnight on July 19, 2024. 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. On July 26, he was apprehended at Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in

Dhanmondi Dhanmondi ( bn, ধানমন্ডি) is a residential area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, known for its central location, cultural vibrancy and being home to the country's founder, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The origins of Dhanmondi can be traced back to t ...

by individuals identifying themselves as members of various intelligence agencies, including the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch. 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." 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. However, Nahid later clarified that he had been coerced into making the statement.

References

External links

* * Bangladeshi human rights activists 1998 births Living people Alumni of St. Joseph Higher Secondary School Bangladeshi Muslims People from Dhaka Anti-discrimination Students Movement Coordinators of Anti-discrimination Students Movement Yunus interim government advisors University of Dhaka alumni {{DEFAULTSORT:Islam, Nahid