Shahidul Islam (academic)

Shahidul Islam is a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician and a two term member of parliament for Kushtia-2 from 1996 to 2006. He was known for filing cases and attacking journalists in Kushtia District.

Career In 1981/6, Islam was removed from Bheramara College as lecturer after an investigation by the Deputy Commissioner found his high school certificate to be forged. In the 1980s, he joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. The previous Bangladesh Nationalist Party member of parliament, Abdur Rouf Choudhury, refused to participate in the election without any other party. He received 100,544 votes while his nearest rival, Mahbubul Alam Hanif of the Awami League, received 87,734 votes.

In February 2004, Islam challenged a tender of the Bangladesh Water Development Board awarded to Japanese company with the parliamentary sub-committee who found the tender process faulty.

On 21 July 2005, seven journalists in Kushtia District filed a general diary alleging Islam was threatening them.

Islam verbally abused Hassan Jahid, a journalist of Manab Zamin, over a report at a government event in presence of Minister of Environment Tariqul Islam in May 2006. Following that Kushtia Reporters' Unity called for a boycott of all his events. The journalists are Al-Mamun Sagar, of ATN Bangla and Jugantor, Hasan Jahid, of Manab Zamin and RTV, and Munshi Tarikul Islam, of Samakal and Channel 1. Another extortion case was filed by a close aide of Islam and fellow Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician, Azad Biswas, who claimed the journalist robbed him at gunpoint and threatened to shoot him. Kushtia District journalists called for the cases to be withdrawn. On 30 May, Bangladesh Nationalist Party activist and supporters of Shahidul Islam and Syed Mehedi Ahmed Rumi attacked a rally of journalists protesting against Shahidul Islam at the Kushtia Public Library ground. President of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and other senior journalists from the union and the Dhaka Union of Journalists were injured. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for action against the attackers. The International Federation of Journalists called for the charges to be dropped against the journalists.

On 1 June 2006, Kushtia newspaper Andoloner Bazar was vandalized by Bangladesh Nationalist Party followers following which Islam warned local press against printing the newspaper. The newspaper stopped publication following the incident. Khoksa Press Club in Kushtia District was attacked and vandalized by Bangladesh Nationalist Party activists. In June 2006, Islam claimed he would win the next election regardless of the negative news against him. He also blamed the police for the attack on journalists in Kushtia District. A human chain was formed protesting against him at the Jatiya Press Club. On 24 June 2006, the Bangladesh High Court granted bail to journalists Islam had filed cases against. There was a bomb attack on his election rally which he blamed on MA Khaleq who was contending against him for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party nomination. Khaleq, owner of Pacific Group, denied the allegations against him. Khaleq bought numerous allegations against Islam.

On 13 July 2006, Islam attended a meeting with Minister of Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, members of parliament Abdus Salam Pintu, Bachhu Mollah, Syed Mehedi Ahmed Rumi, Inspector General of Police Anwarul Iqbal, and Sangbadik Shramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad after which he apologised to journalists. Lutfozzaman Babar ordered the administration take steps for Andoloner Bazar to resume publication and protest journalists in Kushtia District.

In 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission identified Islam as a corruption suspect. The commission and two army officers from the National Coordination Committee Against Corruption and Crime had found evidence against Islam of embezzlement of public school teachers salary, illegal sand mining from the local river, harassing journalists, and embezzlement from government contracts through manipulation of tenders. On 21 April 2007, his nephew, Lablu Malitha, was arrested from Kushtia by the Rapid Action Battalion. Malitha allegedly committed crimes under Islam's patronage and had 18 criminal cases against him. In September, his wife submitted his wealth statement to the Anti-Corruption Commission.

On 12 November 2008, Islam spoke at an election rally though a phone as he had not visited the area since 2007 after the caretaker government took power.

Islam contested the 2008 Bangladeshi general election from Kushtia-2 as a candidate of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He lost the election with 107,527 votes while the winner Hasanul Haq Inu of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal received 165,952 votes.