Nasim was born on 4 January 1946 in Bikrampur (now Munshiganj district),Dhaka, former British India (Now Bangladesh).

After graduating from there he was admitted in the Dhaka University while studying there he joined the Pakistan Military Academy[4] Nasim was commissioned in 2nd East Bengal Regiment in 1965.

[5] He was appointed the Chief of Army Staff by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party government led by the then Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in 1993.

On 19 May 1996, Abdur Rahman Biswas, the President of Bangladesh during a caretaker government, ordered Lt. Gen. Nasim to force the retirement of Major-General Morshed Khan, commander of Bogra Cantonment, and Brigadier Miron Hamidur Rahman, deputy chief of paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles.

The next day, Biswas sacked him and sent soldiers to control the state radio and television stations.

On noon that day, Nasim ordered soldiers of Bogra, Jessore and Mymensingh divisions to march towards Dhaka.

The General Officer Commanding of the Chittagong Division realized that the military coup was highly unlikely to succeed.