Nahid is a student of Dhaka University's Sociology Department of 2016-17 academic session while Asif  is a student of the Department of Linguistics of 2017-18 academic year.

These two leaders of the student movement drew attention when they were picked up during the first round of curfew slapped by the Hasina government to suppress the quota reform movement.

Later, Detective Branch (DB) members picked them up along with some other coordinators while they were undergoing treatment at Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in the capital.

Later, the six coordinators of the movement including Nahid and Asif were forced to announce the withdrawal of the Anti-Discriminatory Student Movement program in a video message when they were under DB custody.

But after being released from there, they again announced the program of movement and at one stage announced a one-point demand for Hasina’s resignation.

The movement turned into a mass upsurge with the participation of people from all walks of life, forcing Hasina to resign and flee the country.

Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud are leaders of a student organization called "Ganatantrik Chhatra Shakti". Nahid is the member secretary of the central committee of the organization while Asif is the convenor of the Dhaka University unit.

Asif was the leader of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, the student wing of Gano Odhikar Parishad led by former Ducsu VP Nurul Haque.

Last year, some leaders and activists resigned from the Chhatra Odhikar Parishad and formed an organization called Chhatra Shakti.