[1] Saleh was born into a Bengali Muslim family in the plain region of the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya to parents Abdul Gofur and Sahara Begum.
Saleh graduated from St. Edmund's College (affiliated with North-Eastern Hill University) in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Saleh began his political career in the 1997 Meghalaya Legislative Assembly by-election where he won as an Independent candidate.
The sudden demise of Dr. Azad Zaman necessitated a by-election for the Rajabala seat, which was held at the end of October 2021.
Currently, Abdus Saleh is serving as the Chairman of the Meghalaya State Planning Board under the leadership of Conrad K. Sangma.