Bangladesh\u2019s young voters\u2014many of whom had never believed in the value of the ballot\u2014are now poised to play a decisive role in shaping the country\u2019s political future after helping topple former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.<\/p>\n
For much of his adult life, 27-year-old Rafiul Alam saw no point in voting. Eligible since his late teens, he skipped the 2018 and 2024 elections, convinced that his vote carried no weight. Like millions of others in his generation, his political awareness formed under Hasina\u2019s long rule, when opposition parties and observers repeatedly questioned the credibility of elections.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou grow up knowing elections exist, but believing they don\u2019t really decide anything,\u201d Alam said. Disengagement became normal, as young people focused instead on education, work, or leaving the country.<\/p>\n
That mindset shifted dramatically in July 2024, when student protests over a government job reservation system escalated into a nationwide uprising. Alam joined demonstrations in Dhaka and helped organize logistics as security forces launched a violent crackdown. The UN later estimated that up to 1,400 people\u2014mostly young\u2014were killed before Hasina fled to India on August 5, ending nearly 15 years in power.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen she left, it felt like something permanent had cracked,\u201d Alam said. \u201cFor the first time, ordinary people felt they could force change.\u201d Now, as Bangladesh heads toward a national election on February 12\u2014the first since the uprising\u2014he plans to vote for the first time.<\/p>\n
Bangladesh has around 127 million registered voters, nearly 56 million of them aged 18 to 37, according to the Election Commission. This group makes up about 44 percent of the electorate and is widely viewed as the driving force behind Hasina\u2019s downfall. European Union observers have described the upcoming poll as \u201cthe biggest democratic process in 2026, anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone who turned 18 after the 2008 election has never voted in a truly competitive poll,\u201d said Humayun Kabir of the Election Commission. After years of elections widely criticized as lacking credibility\u2014including boycotts in 2014 and 2024, and allegations of ballot stuffing in 2018\u2014this vote carries unusual weight.<\/p>\n
Analysts say young voters are less united by ideology than by deep mistrust of institutions that, for most of their lives, failed to represent them. Fahmidul Haq of Bard College described the election as a psychological release after years of repression, with first-time voters likely to shape the direction of Bangladeshi politics.<\/p>\n
Yet expectations born out of the 2024 uprising remain fragile. Many young activists hoped new political forces would break with dynastic politics, but disillusionment has grown as the election has narrowed into a contest between two rival coalitions led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, with the Awami League barred from participation.<\/p>\n
The National Citizen Party (NCP), a youth-led group born from the protests, initially inspired hope as a generational alternative. That optimism faded for many when the party moved toward an electoral alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami, prompting resignations and independent candidacies from several senior and women leaders.<\/p>\n
For voters like 24-year-old Moumita Akter, the February ballot is less about miracles than proof. \u201cI want to see whether the system can at least function properly,\u201d she said. Others remain conditional in their support, prioritizing safety, freedom of expression, religious tolerance, and economic security over abstract democratic ideals.<\/p>\n
Women voters face an even sharper calculation. Although women make up nearly half the electorate, only about 4 percent of candidates are female. Activists warn that harassment and exclusion have intensified since the uprising, raising doubts about the depth of political reform.<\/p>\n
Still, despite scepticism and unresolved tensions, something fundamental has shifted. For young Bangladeshis who helped bring down a long-entrenched leader, political power no longer feels untouchable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe now dare to question everyone,\u201d Alam said. \u201cWhoever comes to power, that habit isn\u2019t going away.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bangladesh\u2019s young voters\u2014many of whom had never believed in the value of the ballot\u2014are now poised to play a decisive role in shaping the country\u2019s political future after helping topple former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. For much of his adult life, 27-year-old Rafiul Alam saw no point in voting. Eligible since his late teens, he …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50794,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[81],"class_list":["post-50793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-games","tag-headline"],"yoast_head":"\n