Bangladesh’s young generation, credited with toppling former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024, is now expected to play a decisive role in the country’s upcoming national election on February 12. The vote, described by European Union observers as the “biggest democratic process in 2026, anywhere,” will be the first since the July 2024 uprising that forced Hasina to flee to India after a violent crackdown left up to 1,400 people dead. Many first-time voters, such as 27-year-old Rafiul Alam from Dhaka, say they are eager to participate after years of political disillusionment.
According to the Election Commission, nearly 56 million of Bangladesh’s 127 million registered voters are aged between 18 and 37, representing about 44 percent of the electorate. Analysts say this group’s shared distrust of institutions and demand for accountability could redefine the political landscape. The interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has barred the Awami League from contesting, leaving the field to two main coalitions led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami.
However, divisions have emerged within youth-led movements such as the National Citizen Party, whose alliance with Jamaat has drawn criticism from protest leaders. Women’s representation also remains low, with only 4.24 percent of candidates being female, raising concerns about the depth of political reform.
Share For most of his adult life, Rafiul Alam did not believe that voting was worth the walk to the polling station. He is 27, grew up in a middle-class neighbourhood of Dhaka, and became eligible to vote nearly a decade ago. He never did – not in Ba
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