// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Shama Obaed a good singer? It's a hoot.
Shama Obaed | |
|---|---|
শামা ওবায়েদ | |
.jpg) Obaed in 2026 | |
| Minister of State for Foreign Affairs | |
| Assumed office 17 February 2026 | |
| Prime Minister | Tarique Rahman |
| Preceded by | Mohammad Sufiur Rahman |
| Member of Parliament | |
| Assumed office 17 February 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Shahdab Akbar Chowdhury |
| Constituency | Faridpur-2 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Shama Obaed 14 May 1973 |
| Party | Bangladesh Nationalist Party |
| Spouse | Shovon Islam |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent |
|
| Nickname | Rinku |
Shama Obaed Islam (née Obaed; born 14 May 1973)[1] is a Bangladeshi politician. She is the incumbent Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Faridpur-2 constituency (Nagarkanda-Saltha) and the incumbent state minister of foreign affairs since February 2026.[2]
Obaed is one of the seven women elected in the 2026 Bangladeshi general election and one of the three women in the Tarique Ministry.[3][4]
Early life
[edit]Shama Obaed Islam was born into a prominent political family in Bangladesh. Her father, KM Obaidur Rahman, was a veteran politician and an organizer of Bangladesh's liberation movement. He served as the 4th Secretary General of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and held various ministerial positions.[4] Her mother, Shaheda Obaed, was an educator and the former chairperson of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka.[4]
Islam was barred from seeing her ailing father in January 1999 before returning to the United States, where she was living at that time due to her job.[5]
Education and Professional Career
[edit]Islam studied at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College before moving to the United States for higher education. She graduated with highest honors, earning a bachelor's degree in computer science from California State University. After graduation, she joined First Union Bank, where she gained valuable experience in both the financial and technology sectors. In addition, she obtained an MBA from the University of Phoenix, which deepened her understanding of economics and business.[6]
Political career
[edit]Shama Obaed returned to Bangladesh after her father's death and joined her father's party, BNP.[7] She unsuccessfully contested from Faridpur-2, a constituency from which her father was elected several times, comprising Nagarkanda and Saltha Upazilas, in 2008.[8]
In 2010, she became the President of Jatiyotabadi Muktijuddher Projonmo, an organisation representing the descendants of freedom fighters who advocate the cause of Bangladeshi Nationalism.[6] During the Sheikh Hasina regime, she participated in several political protests.[9]
Islam was heavily engaged in the advocacy against the use of EVM in elections in Bangladesh, utilizing her knowledge as a computer scientist to raise awareness against the flaws of the machines and the system. In 2018, the BNP nominated her to contest for the Faridpur-2 constituency. However, the election was widely regarded as flawed and rigged, with Awami League activists allegedly taking control of the polling centres, supported by the police.[10] It was alleged that ballot boxes were stuffed the night before the election.[11][12]
She was appointed a key member of the party's foreign affairs committee, in which capacity she briefed diplomats in Dhaka on the BNP's position on democratic backsliding during the 2024 election cycle.[13] She was subjected to smear campaigns by pro-Awami League activists for her role during the pro-democracy movement.[14]
In February 2026, Islam won the 2026 Bangladeshi general election contesting at the Faridpur-2 constituency securing 120,909 votes while her nearest rival of the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis candidate Shah Akram Ali received 87,956 votes.[15][16]
Personal life
[edit]Obaed is married to Mostajirul Shovon Islam who is the managing director of Sparrow Group, a garments manufacturing company.[4][17] Together they have two children.[4]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Member details". Bangladesh Parliament. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ "What Tarique's Cabinet looks like: 25 ministers, 24 state ministers sworn in". The Business Standard. 2026-02-17. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ↑ "7 women, including Rumeen Farhana, Tahsina Rushdir and Shama Obaid elected". Prothomalo. 2026-02-13. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
- 1 2 3 4 5 বাবার পথ ধরে ৩ নারী রাজনীতিতে, হলেন মন্ত্রী–প্রতিমন্ত্রী [3 women follow in father's footsteps into politics, become ministers and state ministers]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 2026-02-18. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ↑ "Daughter not allowed to visit Obaidur Rahman". www.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- 1 2 "Curriculum Vitae Of Shama Obaed Islam, Mp". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 2026-04-11. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ "Bangladesh at the Crossroads Rethinking Politics Economy and Geopolitical Strategy". bengaldelta.com. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ "Shama poses challenge to AL stalwart Sajeda". www.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ "Bangladesh opposition holds rally seeking PM Hasina's resignation". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ "Police-aided ballot stuffing | The Daily Star". www.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ "Never heard of police stuffing ballot boxes on night before polls: Japan ambassador". Prothomalo. 2022-11-14. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ "Stolen at midnight: The 2018 elections". Netra News. 2019-12-30. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ "What BNP tells EU delegation". Prothomalo. 2023-07-15. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ "Women and politics in the disinformation era | The Daily Star". www.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ ৩৩ হাজার ভোটের ব্যবধানে জয় শামা ওবায়েদের [Shama Obaid wins by a margin of 33,000 votes]. The Daily Ittefaq (in Bengali). 2026-02-13. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ শামা ওবায়েদ-নায়াব ইউসুফসহ তিনটি আসনে বিএনপি, একটিতে জামায়াত জয়ী. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 2026-02-13. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
- ↑ "Shovon Islam, Managing Director of Sparrow Group". Sparrow. 2023-08-31. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
