Bangladesh's nepo baby

Issue #376: The largest Gen Z electorate in the world just voted. And one of the strongest cyclones in decades recorded hit one of the countries least responsible for climate change.

There's Bangladesh, home to around 171 million people, that just held its most consequential election in decades. The likely new prime minister returned from 17 years of exile in London on Christmas Day and his mum and dad both ran the country before him.

At the same time, Cyclone Gezani just destroyed much of Madagascar's second-largest city, including the port that handles most of the country's trade (including roughly 80 percent of the world's vanilla supply).

Also in this issue: Japan now has its first female prime minister, Barbados' (female) leader won every single seat in parliament, and Ethiopia expelled Reuters journalists after some very critical reporting. There were also signs of progress: Fewer trees are disappearing in Colombia, a Pakistani festival that was banned for 19 years is back on again, and a court in the Philippines gave property rights for same-sex couples.

This issue has been edited by Jonathan Ramsay.

Bangladesh just held its most meaningful election in decades

Refresher: In 2024, students (first, others followed later) led an uprising against autocratic Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after more than 20 years in power. An estimated 1,400 people died during this uprising. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took over the government.

What happened:
In 2026, elections finally took place. The results: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a former opposition party, is now in full control, and a referendum full of new democratic reforms also passed. The question now: will any of it stick?

Why this matters: Some 171 million people live in Bangladesh (more people than Germany and France combined). According to The Daily Star, around 55.6 million voters are aged between 18 and 37, accounting for more than 43 percent of the electorate. This is the largest youth electorate the country has ever had. When the 2024 uprising happened, CNN cited experts who called it "the world's first successful Gen Z revolution."

Tell me more:
In total, 2,028 candidates contested for the 299 seats and 50 registered political parties competed. The BNP's on a high: it won enough seats (209) in parliament to control the government by themselves, meaning they do not need other parties to help them pass any laws and are now the dominant political force in the country. In second place came Jamaat-e-Islami (68 seats; they believe in the introduction of sharia law). As for the likely new Prime Minister: Tarique Rahman is, in Gen Z terms, the ultimate nepo baby. His mother was prime minister. His father was president and founded the party Rahman now leads. Political power in Bangladesh tends to stay within the same families (and this election did nothing to break that pattern). Rahman has lived outside the country for 17 years in London and only came back in December (on Christmas Day, FYI).

BTW: Sheihk Hasina's party, The Awami League, was not allowed to run in this election. The Awami League was the country's historically largest party.

Did you know? About 127 million people were allowed to vote in this election. To make sure everything stayed calm and safe, the government sent over 900,000 security officers (the largest-ever), including police and soldiers, to watch over the voting. For the first time, overseas Bangladeshis could also vote.

What do young Bangladeshis want?
Many young people in Bangladesh wanted big political change after the protests in 2024.
In this interview with Deutsche Welle, the biggest topics seem to be 'no more corrupt politicians', better schools and health care, and leaders who understand their generation. In Dhaka, young voters spoke of their thrill at experiencing democracy first hand. A young woman in Dhaka told The Guardian: "I am excited, this is the first time I am freely taking part in an election." One 27-year-old first-time voter in Dhaka told the The Daily Star that "it feels like Eid." One more critical piece in the paper says, however, that when it was time to vote, many young people still chose the old, familiar political parties, not because they really believed in them, but because they did not trust the alternatives. The National Citizen Party (born directly from the July 2024 uprising) won only six seats in the parliament (perhaps because they allied with the Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami). This means: Yes, the protests changed the system, but did not yet create new political leaders people trust.

Is Tariq Rahman a good pick for a prime minister?
Hmm. Many Bangladeshis remember that when the BNP was last in power (2001--2006), the country was ranked among the most corrupt in the world. Rahman didn't hold an official government job, but many believed he wielded enormous hidden influence. He was arrested in 2007 on corruption charges (he still denies these). A year later, he was released and went to London being so badly tortured in jail that he was taken to the plane in a wheelchair. Years after, the courts removed those convictions, which allowed him to return and run for leader. Rahman says this proves he did nothing wrong. Plus, he also said the BNP has expelled or disciplined more than 7,000 members for corruption, extortion, and misconduct. But many people are still skeptical.

And what was the referendum about?
About 6 out of 10 people voted for a list of new political rules for the country. The referendum's outcome is binding for any party winning the election, meaning these new rules are now BNP's political homework for the upcoming years (or however long they will stay in power). Bangladeshi media refers to this as the July Charter, created by the temporary leader Muhammad Yunus.

The new rules include:

• Prime ministers can only serve two terms, so they cannot stay in power forever
• A second parliament chamber will be created, so more people can review laws
• The president and courts will have more power, so the prime minister has less control over everything
• More women must be included in parliament
• Some important parliament positions must go to the opposition, not just the ruling party

Whether or not...