• In 1931, Bashir al Barghouthi was born in the village of Deir Ghassana in the Ramallah governorate. After he had completed preliminary education at his village’s school, he attended the El Bireh Secondary School. In 1949, he graduated from the Friends School of Ramallah. 

• Al Barghouthi joined the American University of Cairo and obtained a B.A. in political sciences and economics in 1956. At the university, Al Barghouthi was active in the Palestinian Students’ Association, which had been established and chaired by President Yasser Arafat (Abu Ammar). A life-long solid relation of cooperation developed between Al Barghouthi and Abu Ammar. 

• Later, Al Barghouthi returned to Jordan, where he resumed his activity within the Jordanian Communist Party. He played a significant role in the struggle against the Baghdad Alliance as well as settlement schemes. In 1956, Al Barghouthi chaired the Jordanian Communist Party’s first public newspaper Al Jamahir. In 1957, Al Barghouthi was arrested in Jordan along with thousands of members of the Communist Party and national movement. He was detained in the Al Jafr desert prison for a term of eight years. He resumed his political activity after he had been released. 

• In 1974, Al Barghouthi returned to Palestine and maintained his leading role in the struggle against the Israeli occupation. He was detained on several occasions. The Israeli occupying authorities also sentenced him to house arrest for a period of three years and prevented him from departing the country until 1988. 

• In his lifetime, Al Barghouthi presided the editorial board of the Jerusalem-based Al Fajr newspaper. Through his leading position in the Palestinian Communist Organisation, Al Barghouthi played a significant role in assisting and rendering successful the national lists in the 1976 municipal council elections. Over 1978-94, Al Barghouthi was editor-in-chief of the At Tali’ah newspaper. In addition to fighting the self-rule and alternative leadership schemes, Al Barghouthi was a prominent leading activist in the National Guidance Committee. Through his position as Secretary General of the Palestinian People’s Party, he played an important role in guiding and leading the first Palestinian popular Intifada. 

• In 1996, Al Barghouthi was appointed Minister of Industry in the Government of the Palestinian National Authority. Then, he was Minister of State until he passed away on 9 July 2000.