Was Tarique Rahman’s Youth Outreach More Than an Election Strategy?
The BNP’s credibility with Bangladesh’s youth will ultimately depend not on whether the government can deliver jobs, fair recruitment, and meaningful participation in state-building.
On December 25, 2025, Tarique Rahman, the former acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), returned to Dhaka after 17 years in exile. The youth, who played a pivotal role in the 2024 uprising that ousted Sheikh Hasina's government, had become a significant force in politics. Rahman, now the prime minister, recognized this and focused on engaging young people through various programs, policy plans, and his party's election manifesto.
He organized events solely for the youth and held discussions where students could share their views and raise questions. The BNP's election manifesto pledged to create 10 million new jobs within five years and invited young entrepreneurs to his office for discussions on challenges and concerns. However, critics question whether this engagement with the youth was merely a strategic move to secure their votes, as the government now faces challenges in delivering on its promises due to issues like unreliable energy supply.
Despite these concerns, the BNP government has been proactive in initiating programs like Notun Kuri Sports, transforming the parliament complex into an open civic education platform, and allocating funds for a startup fund.
Written by urgent.news from The Diplomat's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
