 "Who is Nahid Islam, student who led protests that ousted Sheikh Hasina and is part of interim Bangladesh govt?")
Bangladesh’s new interim government has been sworn in with Nobel laureate and economist Muhammad Yunus at the helm.
This comes days after Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country after weeks of violent protests.
Now, the face of those anti-quota and anti-government protests, Nahid Islam has joined the new Bangladesh government.
Islam is part of the 16-member council that will advise the interim government.
But what do we know about the 26-year-old whose movement culminated in the ouster of Hasina?
Here’s all we know about the student who led the protest that ousted Hasina.
Who is Nahid Islam?
Often seen in public with a Bangladeshi flag tied across his forehead, Nahid Islam is a sociology student at Dhaka University and is known for his work as a human rights defender.
He was born in Dhaka in 1998, is married and has a younger brother, Nakib. His father is a teacher and his mother is a homemaker, as per Reuters.
The 26-year-old is one of the National Coordinators for the ‘Students Against Discrimination’ Movement.
Islam has been a vocal critic of the Hasina-led Awami League Party. He often described them as “terrorists” deployed on the roads, according to NDTV.
He had earlier said, speaking to demonstrators in Shahbagh, that students had “picked up sticks today” and were prepared to “take up arms” in case the sticks proved ineffective.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIslam gained national attention in the middle of July when protests turned violent and the authorities arrested him along with a few other Dhaka University students.
He was first abducted from a residence in Sabujbagh by at least 25 men dressed plain on July 19. He was repeatedly questioned about his role in the protests while wearing a blindfold, handcuffed, and subjected to torture. He was discovered unconscious and bruised beneath a bridge in Purbachal two days later, as per the report.
On July 26, Islam was abducted again from Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in Dhanmondi.
He was taken away by people posing as officials of several intelligence services, including the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. The police, however, have refuted any involvement.
How did the protests start?
The protests, which have drawn hundreds of thousands, began in July with students demonstrating against a controversial quota system that set aside up to 30 per cent of government jobs for family members of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.
The students said the system was discriminatory and benefited supporters of former PM Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party, which led the independence movement.
The anger highlighted the extent of economic distress in the neighbouring country, where exports have fallen and foreign exchange reserves are running low.
It also showcases the lack of quality jobs for young graduates, who increasingly seek more stable and lucrative government jobs.
The nationwide protests turned violent on July 15 as student protesters clashed with security officials and pro-government activists, prompting authorities to disperse tear gas, fire rubber bullets, close schools and impose a curfew with a shoot-on-sight order.
The internet and mobile data were also turned off.
About 300 people were killed and thousands injured in clashes that ripped through the country, some of the worst violence in Bangladesh since its 1971 war of independence from Pakistan, as per Reuters.
Islam, who speaks unemotionally but firmly, had warned that the students would not accept any government led or supported by the army.
It was he who proposed that Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus be made the chief adviser to the government.
“Any government other than the one we recommended would not be accepted,” he said in a Facebook post early on Tuesday.
Yunus faced several corruption accusations and was put on trial during Hasina’s rule. He received the Nobel in 2006 after he pioneered microlending, and he said the corruption charges against him were motivated by vengeance, as per The Associated Press.
On Monday, flanked by other student leaders, Islam told reporters, “We won’t betray the blood shed by the martyrs for our cause. We will create a new democratic Bangladesh through our promise of security of life, social justice and a new political landscape.”
He vowed to ensure the country of 170 million never returns to what he called “fascist rule” and asked fellow students to protect its Hindu minority and their places of worship.
Nahid’s brother and a geography student, Nakib told Reuters, “He (Nahid) has incredible stamina and always said the country needed to change. He was picked up by the police, tortured until he was unconscious, and then dumped on the road. Despite all this, he continues to fight. We have confidence that he will not give up. Proud of him.”
Sabrina Karim, associate professor of government at Cornell University who specialises in studying political violence, called Monday a historic day for Bangladesh.
“This might very well be the first successful Gen Z-led revolution,” she told the agency. “There is perhaps some optimism for a democratic transition even if the military is involved in the process.”
With inputs from agencies
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