Syed Nazrul Islam

Syed Nazrul Islam (1925-1975) lawyer, politician and the acting President of the Provisional Government of Bangladesh at Mujibnagar. Syed Nazrul Islam was born in 1925 at Jamodal Dampara in Kishoreganj district.

He obtained his MA degree in History in 1947 and LLB in 1953 from the Dhaka University. He took active part in politics in his student life, and was the vice president of Salimullah Muslim Hall Student Union (1946-47) and secretary of Muslim Student League. Syed Nazral Islam was the captain of the Dhaka University cricket and hockey team and secretary of games and sports of Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU).

Syed Nazrul Islam was the Vice-President of the mujibnagar government formed on 10 April 1971, and in absence of the President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman he pioneered the war of liberation as Acting President. He was a member of the first cabinet of Bangabandhu in charge of the Ministry of Industry. He was a member of the committee for drafting the constitution of Bangladesh. He was elected deputy leader of the Awami League parliamentary party in 1972.

Syed Nazrul Islam was elected member of the jatiya sangsad from Mymensingh in 1973. He was again elected deputy leader of the Awami League parliamentary party in the Sangsad. He was a member of the cabinet of Bangabandhu in charge of Ministry of Industry. With the introduction of one-party presidential form of government in the country in 1975 Nazrul Islam was made the Vice President and also the vice chairman of bangladesh krishak sramik awami league (BAKSAL).

After the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by a group of army personnel on 15 August 1975 martial law was promulgated and Khondakar Mostaq Ahmad was made President of the country. Khondakar Mostaq managed to get some of his old collegues into his cabinet. But the top four leaders of Awami League Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, M Mansur Ali and AHM Qamaruzzaman having expressed their reluctance in joining the cabinet were arrested on 23 August and kept confined in the Dhaka central jail. Syed Nazrul Islam along with three others were ruthlessly killed inside the jail on 3 November 1975. He lies buried at Banani graveyard.