Nahid Islam

Muhammad Nahid Islam was born in Banasree in Dhaka on 28 April 1998. His father is a teacher and his mother is a homemaker. He studied at St. Joseph Higher Secondary School, Govt Science College and the Department of Sociology at the University of Dhaka. His bachelor thesis was on the causes behind the failure of student movements in Bangladesh. == Student activism ==

Early activism As a first year university student in 2017, Nahid protested against a coal-fired power plant close to the Sundarbans. In 2019, he formed a student organization called Gonotantrik Chhatra Shakti () in the University of Dhaka along with his peers and was a central leader of this organization. July Revolution Nahid became 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 Sheikh Hasina and her government. Abduction and detainment Nahid gained national attention in mid-July 2024 when he and five other coordinators were detained by the Detective Branch (DB) as the protests escalated. At midnight on 19 July 2024, he was reportedly taken from a house in Sabujbagh by approximately 25 men in plain clothing. 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. 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 DB. The DB later confirmed that they had taken Nahid and five other coordinators of the Students Against Discrimination into custody for "safety reasons". Subsequently, Nahid and other coordinators issued a statement from the DB 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. Shortly afterwards, Nahid delivered the one-point demand on behalf of students involved in the movement demanding Hasina's resignation. ==Career==

Adviser of the interim government Nahid and fellow activist Asif Mahmud joined the interim government and took the oath with most other advisers on 8 August 2024. The next day, he was appointed in-Charge of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology. Subsequently, on 16 August 2024, he was also assigned the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. During his tenure as the Adviser of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology in Bangladesh's interim government, Nahid initiated several reforms aimed at enhancing the country's digital infrastructure and accessibility. Under his supervision, the ministry focused on reducing mobile service taxes, which had been a barrier to wider internet access, especially for low-income households. His contributions during this period were recognized internationally with his inclusion in the Time magazine's Time 100 Next 2024 list. Convener of National Citizen Party Nahid resigned as an adviser on February 25 to be the convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP), with the affiliation of Students Against Discrimination and Jatiya Nagorik Committee. On 28 February, he was officially designated as the convener of new party. In his inaugural speech, Nahid declared that there would be no place for pro-India or pro-Pakistan politics in Bangladesh and stated that his party would focus on the national interests of Bangladeshi people with a self-reliant economy. He also outlined his party's goal to establish a "new democratic constitution" for the "second republic". In 2026, he was elected from the Dhaka-11 constituency in 2026 general election . == References ==