Humayun Kabir (BNP politician)

Humayun Kabir (Bengali: হুমায়ুন কবির) is a Bangladeshi politician and member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He serves as the joint secretary general for international affairs of the BNP and as an adviser to the prime minister on foreign affairs with the status of a state minister in the government led by Tarique Rahman.^[1][2]

Kabir returned to Bangladesh following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024 and became actively involved in national politics. He is known for his advocacy on foreign policy issues, including resetting relations with India, addressing the Rohingya crisis, and promoting regional cooperation through organizations like SAARC and BIMSTEC.^[3]

Humayun Kabir was born in Habshpur village, Umrapur Union, Osmani Nagar Upazila, in the Sylhet District of Bangladesh. He moved to the United Kingdom during his childhood and grew up there, pursuing his higher education in British institutions.

Kabir earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in international relations from the University of Sussex. He then obtained a Master of Science in politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He further pursued a Master of Studies in Management from the University of Cambridge and a Master of Laws (LLM) from Leeds Law School at the University of Leeds.^[4]

Kabir served as a strategy assistant in the mayor of London's office and later as a cabinet adviser in the Lewisham Executive Mayor's office.^[5]

He also held high-level positions in the British government. Under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, he worked in the Cabinet Office. During Rishi Sunak's tenure, he served in the Cabinet Office and, in particular, the Wales Office in London as a private secretary to several cabinet ministers and special advisers.^{[6] [7]}

Kabir became involved with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party while in London, where he developed close ties with BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman. He served as the international affairs secretary in the BNP's national executive committee and as a member of Tarique Rahman's advisory council.^[8]

In June 2025, Kabir attended a key meeting in London between Tarique Rahman and Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024, Kabir returned to Bangladesh and intensified his political activities.

On 22 October 2025, he was appointed as the joint secretary general (international affairs) of the BNP. After the BNP's landslide victory in the February 2026 parliamentary elections, Kabir was appointed as an adviser to the prime minister on foreign affairs with the rank of state minister. He has been tipped to become the foreign minister in the new government.^[9][10]

Kabir has been vocal on foreign policy, advocating for a reset in India-Bangladesh relations, mutual cooperation on security, and addressing regional challenges like extremism and water sharing.^[11][12] He sought nomination for the Sylhet-2 constituency in the 2026 elections.^[13][14]

Kabir is a native of Sylhet and maintains strong ties to his hometown. He resided in London for much of his adult life before returning to Bangladesh in 2024.