Sheikh Shawkat Hossain Nilu (3 April 1952 ? 7 May 2017) was a Bangladeshi politician and chairman of the National People's Party. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Early life [ edit ]

Nilu was born on 3 April 1952 into the Sheikh family of Tungipara in Gopalganj District . ^{[4] [5]} His father was Sheikh Shahadat Hossain. ^[6]

Career [ edit ]

Nilu joined Bangladesh Students' Union in the 1960s. ^[5] He was the founding Agriculture Secretary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party . ^[5] He served as the Student Affairs Secretary to General Ziaur Rahman . He was the Secretary General of the Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal , the farmers' unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. ^[6]

He led the Progressive Nationalist Party (Progatishil Jatiyabadi Dal) which merged into the Jatiya Party , ^[7] after Hussain Mohammad Ershad came to power and became a presidium member. He was the head of the Krishak Party, the farmers' unit of the Jatiya Party. ^[5] He left the Jatiya Party in 2008 and formed the National Peoples' Party . His party entering into an alliance with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. ^[5]

In September 2014, he was expelled from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party led alliance after he attended an event at the Gonobhaban hosted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina . In response, he created his own alliance, National Democratic Front, with 10 ideologically similar political parties. ^{[5] [8]} He was made Secretary General of the alliance. ^[9]

Death [ edit ]

Nilu died on 7 May 2017 in Square Hospital, Dhaka , Bangladesh. ^[10] He was buried in the Banani graveyard. ^[11]

References [ edit ]