Sheikh Shahidul Islam


Sheikh Shahidul Islam is a former Cabinet Minister for Education, Public Works, Youth and Sports and Jute between 1985 and 1990. He is also a former Member of Parliament, elected twice in 1986 and 1988 from Madaripur-3 constituency. He is the current Secretary General of the Jatiya Party, a Centre-left political party of Bangladesh.. Mr Islam also a successful businessperson and he consults in trading, ready made garments industry and real estate.

Career

Mr Islam started his political career as a student politician in the 60s, taking an active part in the historic "Choy Dafa" six point movement and he was imprisoned in 1966 by the then Pakistan Government as a political detainee. He wrote the proclamation of independence that the student leaders read out on 2nd March 1971 when General Yahya Khan illegally suspended the parliament session, disenfranchising the people of East Pakistan. Following the brutal genocide of Pakistan Army on the night of 25th March 1971, Mr Islam joined the liberation forces of Bangladesh. He underwent short-term officer's training course in Dehradun, India and then commanded a section of the liberation force called Mujib Bahini.
Following the victory against Pakistan on 16th December 1971 and the birth of Bangladesh, Banglabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman appointed Mr Islam as the Press Secretary of the Prime Minister in 1972. He decided to resign from the Government of Bangladesh service to rejoin Bangladesh Chattro League, the student front of ruling Awami League. He was elected as the President of Bangladesh Students League for 1973-74 term. In 1975 he was appointed as the Secretary General of the Jatiya Chhatra League, the student front, of the BAKSAL government of Bangladesh.
Islam was the Minister of Education from January 1989 to May 1990. Since 2008 he is the secretary general of the Jatiya Party fraction lead by Anwar Hossain Manju.

Personal life

His uncle was the first president of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Sheikh Hasina is his first-cousin. He is married to Yasmin Islam. They have three children together.