Bangladesh’s Gen-Z battles to gain political ground after ousting Hasina

Reuters:

DHAKA, Dec 4 – Thousands in Bangladesh flocked to hear the plans of the students who toppled long-time leader Sheikh Hasina when they launched a new political party this year, but now it finds itself struggling to translate the street power into votes.

Fighting to deliver on its promise to free the nation from decades of nepotism and two-party dominance, the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) faces entrenched rivals with deep networks and resources as polls approach in February.

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“Our organisation is weak because we haven’t had enough time to build it,” said its chief Nahid Islam, prominent in last year’s deadly anti-government protests who served briefly in the caretaker administration under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

“We are aware of this, but we are still taking on the challenge,” added the 27-year-old, speaking from the party office in a high-rise in Dhaka, the capital, where one wall was covered in graffiti depicting crowds in revolt.

POLLS SHOW PARTY PUSHED TO THIRD PLACE

Opinion polls show the NCP, which aims to contest all 300 seats, in third place, with support of just 6%, far behind the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, which leads with 30%.

Even the hardline Jamaat-e-Islami will do better than the NCP, coming in second with 26%, a December poll by a U.S.-based non-profit, the International Republican Institute, showed.

“When they first launched, I saw hope in them, like everyone,” said Prapti Taposhi, 25, who helped lead the revolt and looked to the newcomers to break decades of rule by two dominant parties, only to say she was eventually disappointed.

“They say they are centrist, but their actions don’t match that,” added Taposhi, a feminist activist.

“They hesitate to take positions on important issues, whether it’s minority rights or women’s rights, and when they do, it comes too late.”

Another sign of growing disenchantment was the party’s failure to win a single seat in September’s student body election at Dhaka University, the epicentre of the uprising that forced Hasina to flee to New Delhi.