Nahid Islam, an adviser to the interim government, has made it to the prestigious TIME magazine’s list of 100 most influential youths shaping global dynamics in 2024.
The list, published on Wednesday, recognises 100 emerging global leaders across fields such as entertainment, politics, activism, and business. In its description of Nahid on the website, the US-based TIME magazine says, “Nahid Islam didn’t have to get any older than 26 to help bring down one of the most powerful people in the world.”
One of several nationwide anti-fascist protest leaders, he (Nahid) rose to wider fame after being tortured by the country's notorious intelligence services, the article said.
Not long after, he fulfilled the students' only demand: Hasina must resign. “Nobody thought she could be overthrown,” TIME quoted the student leader as saying.
Hasina fled the country on 5 August following weeks of demonstrations.
Perhaps the biggest challenge still lies ahead for Nahid and Bangladesh's current interim government: restoring the democratic system that was eroded during the 15-year rule of an increasingly authoritarian government, the article concluded.
Mentionable, the TIME100 Next list, in its fifth year, has the majority of the selected individuals from colour backgrounds, while over half are women, signifying the capacity to influence does not depend on traditional prerequisites amid shifting global leadership trends.