Bangladesh鈥檚 youth, despite being politically aware and globally informed, remain discouraged from active political engagement due to unclear party ideologies, limited leadership pathways and the persistence of patronage politics, said experts at a discussion on Sunday.
The Centre for Governance Studies, in collaboration with the embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, hosted the closed-door roundtable titled 鈥榃omen and Youth Voices in Bangladesh鈥檚 Upcoming National Election鈥� at Gulshan in the capital Dhaka, said a press release.
CGS president Zillur Rahman highlighted the widening gap between political parties and the aspirations of young citizens.
He also underscored the need for greater women鈥檚 representation, noting the disproportionately low number of female nominations across political parties.
Netherlands ambassador Joris van Bommel spoke on the occasion. Visiting Dutch officials Annemarie van der Heijden and Lichelle Fisser stressed that inclusive political processes are essential for strengthening democratic governance.
Participants representing major political parties discussed the challenges facing women and youth ahead of the forthcoming national election and examined ways to ensure equitable participation, the release said.
The session concluded with an open dialogue on practical, party-level reforms needed to elevate new voices and foster internal democracy.
The event was attended, among others, by Shama Obaid Islam, organising secretary of the BNP central committee, Mir Mohammed Helal Uddin of the BNP foreign affairs advisory
committee, Nasreen Sultana Mily, joint general secretary of the AB Party, Alauddin Mohammad, joint member secretary of the NCP, Subikunnahar Munni of the Jamaat-e-Islami women鈥檚 division, Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem Arman of Jamaat-e-Islami, and Taslima Akhter, president of the Bangladesh Garment Workers Solidarity.
The roundtable explored the structural and cultural barriers that continue to restrict the meaningful participation of women and young people in electoral politics, despite their central role in Bangladesh鈥檚 social and political landscape.
