From river island to cabinet: Nur’s rise brings tears to father’s eyes

Idris Howlader lost his two daughters in a launch sinking in the 1980s. In the 1990s, he was devastated by the death of his wife. The ordinary man from Galachipa in Patuakhali devoted everything he had to raising his fourth child, Nurul Haque. He had one dream — that his son would become a doctor and serve people in a white apron. But before that dream could take shape, the course of life changed. The boy from a remote river island is no longer a doctor; he is now set to take his seat in the cabinet as a state minister.

Following his victory in the 13th national parliamentary election from the Patuakhali-3, Galachipa-Dashmina constituency, news of Nurul Haque Nur’s inclusion in the cabinet has become a topic of national discussion.

From muddy river island to Dhaka University

Raised in a middle-class family in Char Biswas union, Nur was a gifted student. He lost his mother, Nilufa Begum, at the age of two and a half, marking the beginning of a difficult struggle. After studying up to class seven at Char Biswas Janata Secondary School, he moved to Gazipur. He passed his SSC in 2010 and completed his HSC in 2012 from Uttara High School and College in Dhaka. Although he studied for a year at Patuakhali Science and Technology University, his ultimate destination was the English department at Dhaka University.

During his university years, he was initially involved in student politics through the Chhatra League. However, the 2018 quota reform movement changed the direction of his life. From the banner of the Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council, he emerged as a voice for hundreds of thousands of students. His election as vice-president of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union in 2019 marked his first major step into national politics.

Bloodied streets and dozens of cases

Nurul Haque’s political journey was far from smooth. Political analysts say no other young leader in Bangladesh over the past decade has faced as many attacks.

From 2019 to 2024, whether during the quota reform protests or rallies at TSC under the Students’ Rights Council, he repeatedly came under attack.

During the 2024 anti-quota movement, he was arrested and placed on five days’ remand, later serving a prolonged period in jail.

On August 29, 2025, while taking part in a sit-in programme at the Jatiya Party office, he was so seriously injured that he had to travel abroad for advanced medical treatment.

According to his affidavit, 15 political cases are still pending against him. Yet the determined young leader did not retreat.

A father’s anguish, and today’s pride

On hearing the news of his son becoming a state minister, Idris Howlader became emotional. “Whenever my son was attacked, I suffered from afar. I have spent countless sleepless nights. My dream was for him to become a doctor. But today, seeing him serve the country as a minister, I feel the Creator has rewarded his sacrifices. I want him to serve the nation with honesty,” he said.

Personal life and a new political vision

Nurul Haque’s wife, Maria Akhter, is a school teacher. A father of two daughters and a son, Nur has always lived simply. In 2021, he co-founded the Bangladesh Gono Odhikar Parishad with economist Reza Kibria and was elected president of the party in 2023.

His transformation from a son of the river islands to a state minister is not merely an appointment to office, but a reflection of grassroots political forces rising to prominence. Voters now hope that the courageous Nur of the streets will remain equally vocal in defending ordinary people’s rights from his seat in the ministry.