Background
Islam was born in Dhaka, Bengal Presidency, (now Bangladesh), British India.
Islam was born in Dhaka, Bengal Presidency, (now Bangladesh), British India.
London School of Economics.
He had more than 50 years of experience in radio and television and is best known for his work with the BBC World Service. Initially trained as a photographer and an actor. Worked for the Department of Films and Publication after partition in 1947 and became the first Bengali newsreader to announce the birth of the new Pakistan.
He returned to Pakistan and worked in both radio and television, helping to make government newsreels at key moments in history. He joined the Voice of America in Washington in the late 1970s for two years, after which he returned to BBC World Service based in Bush House in London and presented Bengali language children's program, Kakoli.
In 1949, Islam travelled to London and studied Economics and Politics at the London School of Economics, and commenced freelance work as a Bengali contributor, actor and broadcaster for BBC Radio. After announcing on radio the independent state of Bangladesh in 1971, Islam returned to the BBC in England. In 1988, following his official retirement Islam continued as a freelance broadcaster and a mentor to his colleagues at the Bengali section of the World Service at the BBC. Islam died in Surrey, England after a period of illness.