Bangladesh Nationalist Party Takes Victory in First Election Since 2024 Uprising

Tarique Rahman, the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, won the Bangladeshi people's support in this week's election, marking the nation's first election since the Gen Z uprising of 2024.

In 2024, following the reinstitution of Bangladesh's job quota system, protests broke out among younger generations, who felt that their opportunities were disproportionately impacted by the new system. The demonstrations began in July and quickly became violent, killing hundreds of people, and many protesters were subjected to police brutality amid the conflict.

Eventually, the protesters made their way to the private residence of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh's prime minister at the time, and stormed her home, forcing her to flee the country. She remains in New Delhi, India, to protect herself from the Bangladeshi violence, but the nation's lack of a leader left them without a strong institutional structure to build the country back up.

Finally, after over a year of indecision, Bangladesh was successfully able to hold an election last week, permitting the selection of a new leader. In the end, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) took victory, securing the 151-seat margin needed for a majority in Bangladesh's 350-seat Parliament.

The BNP has held power for significant periods of time in the past, but it remains a core representation of Bangladesh's highly dynastic leadership structure– the BNP's current leader, Tarique Rahman, happens to be the son of former Bangladeshi President and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who also led the BNP during her three terms.

Nevertheless, Rahman will aim to restore peace and economic growth to Bangladesh, alongside the implementation of stronger restrictions on executive power and term limits for prime ministers, as requested by the younger generation.

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Image credit to CNN