Who Is Nahid Islam? 26-Year-Old Student Who Spearheaded Protests That Brought Sheikh Hasina's Downfall

Nahid Islam grabbed headlines and gained national prominence after he was detained by police during the protests, which turned deadly.

Bangladesh Crisis: The demonstrations that began seeking reform in Bangladesh’s quota policy for the families of freedom fighters slowly turned into an anti-government movement, which led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government. Following the anti-government protests that swept across the country, Sheikh Hasina resigned as the PM of Bangladesh and fled to India.

The movement began after the High Court of Bangladesh reinstated a 30 percent quota for descendants of war veterans and freedom fighters in June 2024.

Nahid Islam, a 26-year-old student from Dhaka University, emerged as a crucial figure in the demonstrations that led to Hasina’s resignation, bringing down curtains to her 15-year tenure.

Things worsened further in the violence-hit country on Monday after protesters defied a nationwide curfew and stormed Hasina's residence, and declared victory for the people's movement.

Who Is Nahid Islam?

Born in Dhaka in 1998, Islam is currently a student in the Sociology Department at Dhaka University. He is known for his work as a human rights defender.

According to a Hindustan Times report, the student leader came to the limelight and gained national prominence in July after he was detained by police during the protests, which turned violent.

Islam has been serving as one of the National Coordinators for the 'Students Against Discrimination' Movement. It is a student-led protest calling for reforms to the quota system in government jobs in Bangladesh. Nahid has described Sheikh Hasina's party, the Awami League, as "terrorists" deployed on the roads, the NDTV report stated.

According to a Times of India report, he is married and has a younger brother named Nakib. His father is a teacher, and his mother is a homemaker.

Earlier this year, in July, Nahid Islam was abducted by at least 25 men in plain clothes from a house in Sabujbagh. As per the NDTV report, he was blindfolded, handcuffed, and tortured during repeated interrogations about his involvement in the protests. Two days later, he was found battered under a bridge in Purbachal in an unconscious state.

He was kidnapped for the second time on July 26, 2024, from Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in Dhanmondi. According to reports, he was kidnapped by individuals who claimed to be from various intelligence agencies, including the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Detective Branch.