Nahid, who has enjoyed a breakthrough 2026 season, was ruled out of the two-Test series after suffering a side strain during the recent T20I series against Zimbabwe.
The 23-year-old had emerged as Bangladesh's biggest pace weapon this year, claiming 27 wickets in 10 ODIs and 11 wickets in two Tests, while also impressing in franchise cricket.
With Australia's fast and bouncy conditions expected to suit his pace, Nahid's absence has come as a major disappointment for Bangladesh.
"If you look at world cricket, there is a clear difference when it comes to Nahid. Only he and Mitchell Starc consistently bowl at that kind of pace. Missing him is obviously very difficult for us" Bashar told in a press conference.
The chief selector believes cricket fans around the world were eager to see Nahid bowl in Australia.
"I think everyone in world cricket wanted to watch Nahid bowl. But we have to accept that he cannot play every match. No matter what we say, we have to move on. Still, not having Nahid is a huge blow."
Bangladesh will also be without left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam for the opening Test in Darwin due to injury, meaning two of the team's first-choice seamers will miss the series opener.
Questions have been raised over whether Nahid and Shoriful should have been rested during the white-ball series against Zimbabwe. However, Sumon defended the team's workload management, insisting the medical staff closely monitored all fast bowlers.
"Nahid's workload has always been monitored closely through GPS tracking. We keep track of who plays, how many matches they play and in which series. This applies not only to Nahid but to all our fast bowlers, including Taskin Ahmed," he said.
"Against Zimbabwe, Nahid played only the first two ODIs, then had a week's break before playing two T20Is. According to the workload data, he was ready for the Test series. Even then, we were extra cautious and did not play him in every match. Unfortunately, injuries are part of being a fast bowler. You can reduce the risk, but you cannot eliminate it completely."
Despite the injury setbacks, Bashar remains optimistic about Bangladesh's chances.
"If you look at Australia's perspective, Nahid's absence is certainly significant. But I don't want to dwell on the players we don't have. The squad we are taking is the best available, and we have to give our best with the players at our disposal," he added.
