Md Shamsul Alam

Md Shamsul Alam is a former personal secretary to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Alam is credited with coining the term July 36 the day Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina led Awami League government collapsed.

Early life Alam was born to Yusuf Ali and Azufa Khatun in Gosairhat, Shariatpur District.

Career In August 2006, Alauddin Ahmed Chowdhury, then recently serving as assistant personal secretary to the Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina, was involved in a confrontation at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Chowdhury and other officers who had been made officers on special duty during the Bangladesh Nationalist Party government alleged that they were subjected to misbehaviour by fourth-class employees. Islam alleged that Alam, along with a group of senior and mid-level officials, helped create lists categorizing civil servants by perceived political affiliation. The report said no action was taken on this request, and that Alam ignored it with the Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s knowledge. In February 2008, Alam On 10 November 2008, Alam was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment in a corruption case. According to the case he had 17.9 million BDT in illicit wealth. His wife, Khadiza Anam, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in the same case. The court also ordered his assets to be confiscated.

In September 2021, a member of the Awami League information and research subcommittee, Shawkat Ali Patwari Tuhin, served a legal notice against Alam over comments against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. At that time Alam was living in the United States. Alam had posted on Facebook money was smuggled outside the country using diplomatic pouches during Sheikh Hasina's official trip to Europe.

During protests in 2024 that toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League government, Alam is credited with coining the term July 36. Alam noted that intelligence agencies and Embassy of the United States, Dhaka sources predicted that Hasina's government would fall by July 2024. When Hasina did not resign by the end of July, protesters extended the symbolic “July” period to “July 36,” meaning July would continue until Hasina stepped down.

Personal life Alam is married to Khadiza Anam.