Biography on Nurul Islam Nahid1

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid was born on July 5, 1945, in the village of Kasba in Beanibazar Upazila, Sylhet, into a Muslim family. He served as the Education Minister from 2014 to 2018. As a member of Parliament, he represented the Sylhet-6 constituency in 1996, 2008, 2014, and 2018.
He attended Kasba Primary School. He passed the SSC exam from Panchkhanda Hargovind High School and participated in the HSC exam from Murari Chand College in Sylhet. His political life began from there. Later he was enrolled at Dhaka University. His wife, Johra Jesmin, is a civil officer. Elder daughter, Nadia Nandita Tanni, is an assistant lecturer in the Department of Linguistics at Dhaka University. Younger daughter, Nazia Samantha Islam, works in the corporate sector. During the 1990 movement, Nahid played a significant role in establishing a democratic government. In 1993, during communal unrest surrounding the Babri Mosque, he independently formed a coalition called the Committee for Preserving Communal Harmony where he served as its joint secretary. In 1973, he joined the Communist Party as General Secretary. He actively participated in the student movement against martial law in 1969. In 1970, he was elected President of the Bangladesh Students’ Union. He also served as the union’s general and organizational secretary. In 1976, he was appointed President of the Jubo Dal (Youth League). From 2015 to 2017, he was nominated as UNESCO’s 38th Vice President. In the following year, he was also nominated as the 39th President. Several allegations of corruption arose against Nurul Islam Nahid in 2024. Two of his books were published in 1980. Between 2006 and 2008, his collected works were released at the Ekushey Book Fair in February. He has a total of seven published books. Notable titles include Bangali Rukhe Daraw, Bangabandhur Adarsha, Lokkho O Songram, and Rajnitir Shusthadhara Punoruddharer Songram.