Islam was born on 1 August 1928 in Bhagalpur village of Bajitpur thana under Kishoreganj District, East Bengal, British Raj.

He completed his matriculation exams from the Ripon High School, Calcutta.

[4] Islam started his career as a contractor after leaving government service, using the experience he gained at the C and B department.

[2] During the Bangladesh famine of 1974, he opened five food kitchens to feed the poor.

Bengal Development Corporation received contracts for construction in Abu Dhabi, Iraq, and Yemen.