After Uprising, Gen Z Holds the Ballot
News Desk/Reuters
Dhaka: Bangladesh heads to the polls on February 12 in what many young voters and analysts describe as the country’s first genuinely competitive election since 2009, with Generation Z poised to play a decisive role after helping topple former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s government in a 2024 uprising.
For years under Hasina, opposition parties were largely absent from the streets during elections, either boycotting polls or being crippled by mass arrests of senior leaders. This time, the political landscape has flipped.
Hasina’s Awami League is banned, while opposition forces are campaigning openly across the country.
Young activists who led last year’s protests say the vote represents a turning point. Generation Z, voters under 30, makes up roughly a quarter of the electorate, and analysts say their choices could shape not only the outcome but also the direction of the nation of 175 million.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is widely expected to win the election, contesting 292 of the 300 parliamentary seats. BNP chief Tarique Rahman told Reuters the party was confident of securing “enough to form a government.”
Read More: https://thepenpk.com/elections-loom-as-bangladesh-shifts-toward-china/
However, a coalition led by the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami is mounting a strong challenge, buoyed in part by an alliance with a new Gen-Z-driven party. The youth-led group emerged from the anti-Hasina street movement but failed to convert its mobilisation into an independent electoral base, prompting it to align with Jamaat.
“Opinion polls suggest the BNP has an edge, but a significant portion of voters remains undecided,” said Parvez Karim Abbasi, executive director of Dhaka’s Centre for Governance Studies. “Generation Z will carry considerable weight in determining the final outcome.”
Across Bangladesh, election posters reflect the shift. Black-and-white banners bearing the BNP’s “sheaf of paddy” symbol and Jamaat’s “scales” dominate streets once monopolised by the Awami League’s “boat.” Party stalls blare campaign songs, signalling a level of contest absent in recent elections.
Analysts say a decisive result is crucial to restoring stability after months of unrest following Hasina’s ouster, which disrupted key industries such as garments, Bangladesh’s largest export sector. A fractured verdict could prolong uncertainty at a time when the country faces high inflation, weak foreign reserves and slowing investment.
The election outcome will also influence Bangladesh’s foreign policy. China’s influence has grown since Hasina, widely viewed as pro-India, fled to New Delhi after her removal.
Read More: https://thepenpk.com/dhaka-erupts-in-chaos-hasina-resigns-flees-interim-govt-formed/
While the BNP is seen by some analysts as relatively more aligned with India, a Jamaat-led government could move closer to Pakistan and deepen ties with China. Jamaat’s Gen-Z ally has openly criticised what it calls “New Delhi’s hegemony” and has held recent meetings with Chinese diplomats.
Jamaat, which advocates governance based on Islamic principles, says it is not aligned with any foreign power. BNP leaders have likewise pledged pragmatic diplomacy focused on national interests.
Domestic issues, however, dominate voter concerns. Surveys show corruption ranks as the top issue among the country’s 128 million voters, followed by inflation. Analysts say Jamaat’s reputation for clean governance, rather than its religious ideology, has boosted its appeal among younger voters.
Despite the competition, BNP’s Rahman — son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia — remains the frontrunner to lead the next government. If the Jamaat-led coalition prevails, its chief Shafiqur Rahman could emerge as prime minister.
For first-time voters like 21-year-old Mohammad Rakib, the stakes are about more than party politics. “People couldn’t even vote during national elections. People had no voice,” he said. “I hope the next government, whoever comes into power, will ensure freedom of expression.”
As Bangladesh votes, Gen Z — once a protest force on the streets — now stands at the ballot box, potentially reshaping the country’s political future.
