Sheikh Shahidul Islam

Not to be confused with Sheikh Sahidul Islam.

Sheikh Shahidul Islam is a Bangladeshi politician who was elected to parliament for Madaripur-3 as a Jatiya Party candidate in 1986 and 1988, and served as a minister for Education, Public Works, Youth and Sports from 1985 to 1990.^[2] He is the current secretary general of the Jatiya Party (Manju).

Sheikh Shahidul Islam
Minister of Education
In office January 1989 – January 1990
Preceded by	Anisul Islam Mahmud
Succeeded by	Kazi Zafar Ahmed[1]
Personal details
Political party	Jatiya Party (Manju)

Early life

Islam was born on 29 September 1948 in Tungipara, Faridpur district, East Bengal. His parents, Sheikh Mohammad Musa and Sheikh Zinnatunessa, both belonged to the Tungipara Sheikh family. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is his uncle andBegum Fazilatunnessa Mujib is his maternal aunt.

Career

During the Bangladesh liberation war of 1971, Islam was trained in Dehradun and returned to Bangladesh to lead a platoon of Mujib Bahini. He was appointed as Chief of Greater Faridpur region.

In 1973, Islam was elected as the President of Bangladesh Chatra League. Following formation of Bakshal in 1975, he was nominated as the Secretary General of its students wing Jatiya Chhatra League.^[3]

Islam joined Jatiya Party in 1983 and was the founding President of its Youth wing Jatiyo Jubo Shanghati. In 1985, President Hussain Mohammad Ershad inducted him into the cabinet as deputy minister of Youth and Sports. In 1987, He was appointed as Minister of Public Works and in 1988, he was appointed as Minister of Education. During his period as Minister of Education, Islam was the first to introduce free education for women in Bangladesh. He also founded the Bangladesh National University and introduced private University concept in Bangladesh. In May 1990, He was appointed as Minister for Jute, a role he held till the cabinet was dissolved in December 1990.^[1]

Since 2008, Islam is the secretary general of the Jatiya Party fraction led by Anwar Hossain Manju.^[4][5]

Islam is a regular participant of different talk shows in different Bangladeshi TV channels. He is a regular contributor in Tritiyo Matra. ^[6]

Personal life

Islam's uncle was the first president of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.^[3] He is married to Yasmin.^[7]

References

1. Rahman, Syedur (27 April 2010). Historical Dictionary of Bangladesh. Scarecrow Press. p. 320. ISBN 9780810874534. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
2. The Parliamentarian: Journal of the Parliaments of the Commonwealth. General Council of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. 1989. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
3. Dowlah, Caf (19 October 2016). The Bangladesh Liberation War, the Sheikh Mujib Regime, and Contemporary Controversies. Lexington Books. p. 123. ISBN 9781498534192. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
4. Lansford, Tom (24 March 2015). Political Handbook of the World 2015. CQ Press. ISBN 9781483371559.
5. "Manju, Shahidul made chairman, secretary of JP (Manju)". The Daily Star. 9 April 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
6. "Profile - Sheikh Shahidul Islam". www.tritiyomatra.com. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
7. Zaman, Habibuz (1999). Seventy Years in a Shaky Subcontinent. Janus Publishing Company. p. 364. ISBN 978-1-85756-405-1.