Who Are Salimullah Khan and Asif Nazrul? Leaders of Bangladesh’s Interim Government

Bangladesh is currently facing severe instability as a result of increased student protests against the quota system. These demonstrations prompted broad unrest across the country, prompting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s abrupt resignation and her recent flight to London.

Following a significant meeting with Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman at the army headquarters, Professor Dr. Asif Nazrul from Dhaka University’s Law Department has urged students to remain patient and maintain peace and order. This appeal comes as Salimullah Khan and Dr. Asif Nazrul are set to lead the interim government in Bangladesh.

The BNP, Bangladesh’s biggest political party, announced that Salimullah Khan, a Bangladeshi writer and academic, will lead the interim government. The party’s representatives were present at the meeting with the Army Chief.

Who are Salimullah Khan and Asif Nazrul?

Salimullah Khan (born August 18, 1958) stands out as a distinguished Bangladeshi writer, academic, and public intellectual. Renowned for his exploration of national and international politics and culture through the lenses of Marxist and Lacanian theories, Khan has carved a niche in contemporary thought.  He is recognized as one of Bangladesh’s most prominent and respected intellectuals.

Khan’s contributions to Bengali literature are notable for his translations of seminal works by Plato, James Rennell, Charles Baudelaire, Frantz Fanon, and Dorothee Sölle. His extensive translation work has enriched Bengali intellectual discourse. Additionally, Khan is a familiar face on both national and international talk shows, where he offers his perspectives on pressing political issues. Khan examines national and international politics and culture via Marxist and Lacanian lenses. Khan translated books by Plato, James Rennell, Charles Baudelaire, Frantz Fanon, and Dorothee Sölle into Bengali. In Bangladesh, he is a frequent guest on discussion shows discussing national and international politics. He frequently appears as a guest on Bangladeshi television networks’ domestic and global political talk shows.

Salimullah Khan was born into a Bengali Muslim household in Cox’s Bazar district and raised in Maheshkhali. Khan, an anti-colonial activist, was largely involved in regional political economics and culture from a Lacanian-Marxist perspective. Salimullah Khan, a critic of Western interventionism, analyzes Western ideas and rhetoric by critically examining the West’s colonial and imperial heritage.

Md. Nazrul Islam, also known as Dr. Asif Nazrul, is a Bangladeshi author, novelist, columnist, political analyst, and law professor at the University of Dhaka. Nazrul, who wrote over ten novels and nonfiction books, was well-known for his harsh critique of Bangladeshi politics. Md. Nazrul Islam, also known as Dr. Asif Nazrul, is a writer, novelist, columnist, political commentator, and University of Dhaka law professor from Bangladesh. Nazrul is well-known for his bold criticism of Bangladeshi politics and has written over ten novels and nonfiction books. Nazrul now teaches law at the University of Dhaka. He formerly worked for the Bangladeshi government as an administrative officer and writer.