The 2024 Gen-Z-led protests, sparked by job quotas, grew into a nationwide revolt against authoritarianism, forcing Sheikh Hasina to flee and ending her long rule.
Despite promises of generational change under Muhammad Yunus and the inclusion of student leaders, the transition has been marred by political fragmentation, the exclusion of the Awami League, and unresolved demands for justice.
Many of the Gen-Z student leaders who stood against Hasina’s government back in 2024 rose to prominence and are now stepping into the electoral race
On Thursday, February 12, Bangladesh will witness its first ever election that is being held after a political rupture that the country witnessed in 2024, leading to the toppling of the longest serving government in the country.
In August 2024, a student-led, Gen-Z driven protest began in Bangladesh that forced the long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina out of power, putting an end to her government’s “authoritarian rule”.
The protests that began on university campuses over government job quotas, quickly escalated into a nationwide movement against corruption, dynastic politics and state violence, turning into a phenomenon that later inspired Gen-Z protests in other places like Nepal and Madagascar.
The Gen-Z led demonstrations brought in their ambit not just students but also workers, professionals and families of the hundreds of victims killed during the violence. When the military chose not to intervene on the final day, Sheikh Hasina was left with no other option but to flee the country in a sudden rush after which visuals of Gen-Z celebrating success inside her residence took the internet by storm. The day marked the first time a mass youth movement had successfully toppled a government.
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From uprising to uncertainty
Soon after the fall of Hasina, the Bangladesh political space was taken over by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as he formed an interim administration, all of it creating a space for political experimentation.
After this, the student leaders who were at the forefront of the protests were given advisory roles in the government, marking the keeping of the promise of a “generational change”. This was seen by many as the much-needed break from the political rivalry between political families that dominated Bangladesh since the 90s.
However, the changes were not as simple as was expected by the people. The Awami League, once the most powerful party in the country, was now barred from contesting the polls. This led to a vacuum while in the forefront; student groups continued splintering over ideology, alliances and leadership.
Despite the differences many of the Gen-Z student leaders who stood against Hasina’s government back in 2024 rose to prominence and are now stepping into the electoral race. Many of them are linked to the National Citizen Party (NCP), a political outfit formed by student activists born after the late 1990s, which says it wants to dismantle entrenched nepotism and challenge the long-standing dominance of the Awami League and the BNP.
Among the most prominent faces is Nahid Islam, the NCP chief and a key protest leader who briefly served in the interim government under Muhammad Yunus and is contesting from Dhaka-11. Other NCP candidates include Sarjis Alam, a University of Dhaka student turned chief organiser for the party’s northern region, and Nasiruddin Patwary, the party’s chief coordinator, who has foregrounded local governance issues such as education, healthcare and urban infrastructure.
Meanwhile, another student leader Tasnim Jara has chosen to run independently after quitting the party over its alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami. Jara is a doctor who returned from Britain to join the movement.
Another key figure is Abdullah, a former convener of Students Against Discrimination, the group that spearheaded the July uprising, who later became an NCP organiser and is contesting from Cumilla-4. Together, these young candidates represent a shift from street mobilisation to formal politics, as a cohort shaped by protest, repression and digital-era activism seeks to redefine Bangladesh’s political landscape.
For the people in Bangladesh, the upcoming election is less about ideology and more about stability, accountability and survival, as per news reports. Amidst economic anxieties, rising prices and unemployment and concerns over foreign debt, there is still residual anger over the violence that left hundreds dead, mostly at the hands of security forces. The demand for justice by the victims’ families still continues.
The Contenders
The participation of Gen-Z in Bangladesh became a big factor playing a role in the 2024 uprising. Yet, the leading political forces are still deep-rooted in old order. One of the frontrunners for the upcoming elections is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The political party will not only be benefiting from both Hasina’s absence but also from the widespread fatigue caused due to the long-term governance of a single party.
Led by Tarique Rahman, the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the BNP is positioning itself as a centrist alternative. The party is primarily focusing on the much-needed economic revival that the country needs. Moreover, the party has brought in a broad coalition and will contest most parliamentary seats while allocating others to smaller allies. Opinion polls suggest this alliance holds a narrow but consistent lead, especially in urban centres and parts of the countryside where anti-Hasina sentiment remains strong.
The second leading party is Jamaat-e-Islami, the Islamic party which had been sidelined for many years when the previous government was in power. The party is currently going under the rebranding process and is focusing on becoming the anti-corruption force.
Moreover, Jamaat has allied with the National Citizen Party, a group formed by student leaders after the uprising. The alliance reflects the students’ struggle to survive electorally without established structures, but it has also exposed deep ideological rifts within the movement that once claimed to represent a new political morality.
"I feel cautiously hopeful about this election. The expectation is that it will be reasonably free and fair, that people will be able to vote without fear, and that there will be calm both before and after the results, with all parties accepting the popular mandate and a peaceful transfer of power from the interim government to an elected one," Asif Bin Ali, Atlanta-based geopolitical analyst and doctoral fellow at Georgia State University told Outlook Magazine.
Ali said that a key test of credibility will be voter turnout. If a large number of citizens come out to vote, that will strengthen the legitimacy of an election that is under question because of the absence of the Awami League. "My sense is that many people will participate simply because the instability of the last 18 months has been so alarming," he said, adding that a broad section of society now wants a return to normal life, security on the streets, and protection of businesses and property.
He added that while the elections are happening there is still uncertainty about who will win, what kind of reforms will follow, and how stable the next government will be. "But compared to the elections of 2014, 2018 and 2024, this one appears likely to be an improvement. Much will depend on how voters weigh the competing promises of stability and change when they cast their ballots," he said.
