Since it gained independence from Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh has struggled with election integrity. As a result of growing and widespread distrust of the government, the country saw an all-time low voting turnout in its January 2024 general election.
On July 20, 2024, Sheikh Hasina resigned as Bangladesh's prime minister after 15 years in power. She fled the country amid mass unrest and deadly protests fueled by public rejection of her increasingly authoritarian governance.
Twenty days later, while in exile, Hasina formally announced she was stepping down. Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus was appointed Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, the interim equivalent of prime minister. Yunus pledged that elections would take place no later than June 2026, with the current intention of holding them in the first half of April 2026, according to a Reuters report.
"The election commission is working hard to reorganize the electoral system, which was destroyed by the previous government," said former Bangladeshi Ambassador to the U.S. Farooq Sobhan at a recent forum hosted by the East-West Center, "[Many of] our young people will vote for the first time in their lives."
In protest of the corrupt government, Gen Z turnout has been especially low in recent elections. Seventy-five percent of young voters haven't voted in an election since 2008, according to a February 2025 study conducted by "The Diplomat" magazine.
The protests that led to the interim government were student-led, sparked by passionate young people demanding true democracy. The Yunus-led administration says it embraces the same democratic values that Bangladeshi Gen Z has long craved — hence the expectations of significantly higher youth turnout in the next election.
Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, the Ambassador for the Bangladesh Embassy in Mexico and former assistant press secretary to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, feels very optimistic about Chief Adviser Yunus' leadership.
"His administration has already formed at least 11 independent commissions to restore institutional integrity, uphold the rule of law, and prepare for a free, fair and credible election at the beginning of next year" Ansarey told Newsmax.
He added: "Bangladesh must stay committed to transparency, justice and inclusive governance moving forward."
As the country navigates its political transition, much of the free world is watching in hopes of Bangladesh becoming more accountable, unified and citizen-driven.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Click Here Now.
(Alannah Peters is a rising senior at the University of Florida and a summer intern for Gizzi)
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