Former Shibir President Zahid joins Jamaat-e-Islami

Staff Reporter :

Zahidul Islam, the recently outgoing central president of Islami Chhatra Shibir, has joined Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.

Zahid formally joined the party by filling out the associate membership form in the presence of Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman at the party’s Basundhara office on Saturday.
Sources said Zahidul Islam served as the central president of Islami Chhatra Shibir for the 2025 session. Prior to that, he held the position of publication secretary of the organisation.
Zahidul Islam was a student of the English Department at Jagannath University. His home district is Cumilla.

Zahidul Islam’s joining Jamaat-e-Islami marks a continuation of a long-standing organisational pathway within Islamist politics in Bangladesh, where leaders emerging from Islami Chhatra Shibir-widely regarded as the student wing of Jamaat-often transition into the parent party’s formal structure.

During his tenure in Islami Chhatra Shibir, Zahidul Islam was actively involved in organisational expansion, cadre training, and ideological activities at both campus and national levels, party insiders said. As publication secretary, he played a role in overseeing Shibir’s official publications, statements, and ideological materials, focusing on student issues, educational policy debates, and organisational messaging.

As central president in the 2025 session, he was responsible for coordinating nationwide student units, guiding leadership development, and representing the organisation in political and social discourse related to student rights and national issues. His leadership period coincided with heightened political activity on university campuses and broader discussions about democratic space and student participation in national politics.

Jamaat leaders present at the event welcomed Zahidul Islam’s inclusion, describing it as a “natural progression” from student activism to mainstream party politics. Observers note that his formal entry into Jamaat-e-Islami positions him for future organisational responsibilities within the party, particularly in areas related to youth mobilisation and ideological outreach.

Political analysts see the development as part of Jamaat-e-Islami’s broader efforts to strengthen its leadership pipeline by integrating experienced student leaders into its party framework ahead of future political engagements.