Nurul Islam Shishu

Nurul Islam Shishu is a retired major general of Bangladesh Army, a veteran of the Bangladesh Liberation war, and former Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician.^[1][2][3] He served as the Minister of Agriculture under President Ziaur Rahman.^[4][5] He was considered to be President Ziaur Rahman's most trusted companion.^[6]

Nurul Islam Shishu
2nd General Secretary of Bangladesh Nationalist Party
In office 1981–1985
Chairman	Abdus Sattar Khaleda Zia
Preceded by	A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury
Succeeded by	Mustafizur Rahman
Minister of Agriculture
In office 15 April 1979 – 20 June 1981
Preceded by	AKM Azizul Haque
Succeeded by	Amirul Islam Kamal
PSO to the C-in-C of the Armed Forces
In office 19 January 1976 – 11 December 1980
President	Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem Ziaur Rahman
Prime Minister	Mashiur Rahman
Military service
Allegiance	Bangladesh  Pakistan (before 1971)
Branch	Bangladesh Army  Pakistan Army
Service years	1962–1986
Rank	Major general
Unit	Corps of Signals
Commands	DG of BNCC Comdt of Cumilla Cantonment
Conflict	Bangladesh Liberation War

Career

Shishu had joined the Pakistan Army and reached the rank of Major. He served in the Inter-Services Intelligence.^[7] He was sent to East Pakistan to gather information for the ISI; which he deliberately sabotaged by disclosing his affiliation with the intelligence agency.^[8] He joined the Mukti Bahini and fought in the Bangladesh Liberation war.^[9] After the Independence of Bangladesh, he served as the defence attaché at the Bangladesh Embassy to Myanmar.^[10]

In 1976, Shishu served as the Principal Staff Officer to the Chief Martial Law Administrator Ziaur Rahman. Gradually, he became the most trusted companion of Ziaur Rahman.^[11]

Forming BNP

Shishu was made the acting convenor of the Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Dal, a political front which was the predecessor to the BNP. As Ziaur Rahman was the CMLA, he could not actively keep in contact with politicians to help from a party. Shishu kept communications with all the politicians on behalf of Ziaur Rahman. Shishu helped President Ziaur Rahman form the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and oversaw the recruitment of politicians into the party.^[12][13]

Shishu served as the Minister of Agriculture in the cabinet of President Ziaur Rahman. Most of the members of the Zia cabinet were vetted by Shishu on behalf of Zia.^[14] After the assassination of Ziaur Rahman, BNP was at the brink of factionalization. The largest faction of BNP wanted Shishu to take over as chairman of the party. Shishu put his support behind Justice Abdus Sattar instead and made him the chairman. Shishu played a vital role in inducting Khaleda Zia into the BNP. He later served as the acting General Secretary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party while Khaleda Zia was the chairperson of the party.^[15] He was dismissed from the post of minister by Hussain Mohammad Ershad.^[16]

He retired from Bangladesh Army, when he was 40, with the rank of Major General.^[17] Shishu retired from politics and moved to Oklahoma, United States in 1991.^[11][18]