Asif Nazrul | |
Office: | Adviser for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs |
Term Start: | 9 August 2024 |
Office1: | Adviser for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment |
Term Start1: | 16 August 2024 |
Office2: | Adviser for Cultural Affairs |
Term Start2: | 16 August 2024 |
Office3: | Adviser to the Interim Government of Bangladesh |
Term Start3: | 8 August 2024 |
President3: | Mohammed Shahabuddin |
Predecessor3: | Post established |
Native Name Lang: | bn |
Birth Name: | Md. Nazrul Islam |
Birth Date: | 12 January 1966 |
Birth Place: | Comilla, East Pakistan, Pakistan |
Education: | PhD |
Alma Mater: | University of Dhaka, University of London |
Occupation: | Writer, academic |
Employer: | University of Dhaka |
Mohammad Nazrul Islam, better known as Asif Nazrul (; born 12 January 1966), is a Bangladeshi writer, novelist, columnist, political commentator, and a professor of law at the University of Dhaka.[1] [2] Renowned for his bold critique of Bangladeshi politics, Nazrul wrote more than ten novels and nonfiction books. He has been serving as an adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh since 8 August 2024 and as Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
Asif Nazrul completed LLB and LLM in law at the University of Dhaka respectively in 1986 and 1987, and garnered his PhD degree from the University of London in 1999.[2] Afterwards he did his post-doctoral at the Environmental Law Center in Germany.
Nazrul is a professor of law at the University of Dhaka. Previously he worked as a journalist and an administrative officer of Bangladesh government.
After the fall of Sheikh Hasina following the popular protests, Asif Nazrul was appointed as an adviser of the interim government on 8 August 2024.
Nazrul was called upon by High Court of Bangladesh in 2012 for giving inciting speech at a TV talk show on 12 March 2012.[3] In 2013, his office at the University of Dhaka was set ablaze with kerosene.[4] In May 2013, he was threatened to death in a phone call supposedly for his harsh critique of the government. In 2017, he was accused of defaming Shajahan Khan at Madaripur District Court by Faruk Khan, Shajahan Khan's cousin.[5] [6] [7]
Nazrul is married to Shila Ahmed and has a daughter.[8] Previously he married Rokeya Prachy in May 2004 and had a daughter. They got divorced in 2013.[9]