Nahid Islam is a sociology student at Dhaka University who led a student protest in Bangladesh demanding reforms to the quota system for government jobs. The protests have gained momentum and support from various student groups and activists across the country.
Students have started a protest against Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in an attempt to pressure her to comply with their demands.
Due to the month-long anti-quota and anti-government protests in Dhaka, the current prime minister has fled the city to avoid the growing unrest. This has resulted in increased tensions between the government and the protesters.
Facts about Student Leader Nahid Islam
Nahid Islam is a 26-year-old student at Dhaka University studying in the sociology department. He has been primarily recognised for his advocacy as a human rights defender.
He has been a national coordinator for the 'Students Against Discrimination' movement, which focuses on the quota system for government jobs. The movement started in June 2024, when the Supreme Court of Bangladesh reinstated a 30% quota for descendants of war veterans and freedom fighters.
The movement argued that the quota was unfair and discriminatory, as it limited opportunities for other qualified candidates. The quota system was a politically manipulated way to gain access to government jobs.
Islam has been outspoken against Sheikh Hasina's Awami League Party, addressing them as "terrorists" and declaring that students had "picked up sticks today" and were ready to "take up arms" if sticks didn't work while speaking to protestors at the Shahbagh Square in Dhaka.
Kidnapping of Nahid Islam
At least 25 men in plain clothes abducted Islam on July 19, 2024, from his house in Sabujbagh. Nahid disclosed that he was blindfolded, handcuffed, and tortured during his captivity.
He was interrogated repeatedly about his involvement in the protest. On July 21, 2024, precisely two days after his kidnapping, he was found unconscious and battered under a bridge in Purbachal.
Nahid Islam was kidnapped again on July 26, 2024, from Dhanmondi's Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital. People posing as members of various intelligence agencies, including the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, took him away. However, the police have denied any involvement in his adduction.
Conclusion
Nahid Islam was just an ordinary student who was studying at Dhaka University in the sociology department. However, the unjustified quota system that the Supreme Court of Bangladesh reinstated transformed a soft-spoken Nahid into a passionate activist fighting for equal opportunities for all students.
Islam has sparked a student protest against quotas in government positions, which has escalated into an 'oust-Hasina' movement. The protest is still going on, and over 100 people have been killed so far, with many more injured and arrested.
The movement has gained widespread attention both nationally and internationally, putting pressure on the government to address the issue of quotas fairly and transparently.
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