Gen Z in polls: 5 leaders to enter Jatiya Sangsad, 18 miss out
NCP fielded 7 Gen Z candidates; Gono Odhikar Parishad and Insaniyat Biplob Bangladesh 3 each
Five representatives from Generation Z or Gen Z (generally refers to citizens born between 1997 and 2012) are set to enter the Jatiya Sangsad after securing victories in the general election yesterday (12 February), marking a notable rise in youth representation in national politics.
Although at least 23 Gen Z candidates contested the polls, 18 were defeated.
Among the winners are 4 leaders from the National Citizen Party (NCP) — a party that emerged from the July mass uprising — and one from Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish. All 5 contested under the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party electoral alliance.
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According to Election Commission (EC) sources, 25 Gen Z candidates initially filed nominations, but 2 later withdrew in support of other contenders.
The NCP fielded 7 Gen Z candidates; Gono Odhikar Parishad and Insaniyat Biplob Bangladesh 3 each; and the Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist) 2.
Other parties, including the AB Party, Communist party Bangladesh, Bangladesh Nationalist Front, and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, nominated one candidate each.
Key victories
The successful Gen Z candidates include NCP Convener and uprising leader Md Nahid Islam, 27; Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain, 28; Chief Organiser (Southern Region) Hasnat Abdullah, 27; and Senior Joint Chief Coordinator Abdul Hannan Masud, 26.
Said Uddin Ahmad Hanzala, 28, of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, also won, contesting with the 'Rickshaw' symbol.
Md Nahid Islam won the Dhaka-11 constituency by a margin of around 2,000 votes. Contesting with the 'Shapla Koli' symbol, he secured 93,872 votes against his nearest rival's 91,833.
Hasnat Abdullah emerged as the most talked-about Gen Z candidate, sweeping the Cumilla-4 (Debidwar) constituency.
His nearest rival, Md A Jasim Uddin of Gono Odhikar Parishad — backed by the BNP — received 49,644 votes.
In Rangpur-4 (Pirgachha–Kaunia), Akhtar Hossain polled 149,966 votes, defeating Emdadul Haque Bharosa, who contested with the 'sheaf of paddy' symbol and secured 140,564 votes.
Reacting to his first-ever election victory, Akhtar Hossain expressed gratitude and sought prayers from supporters. "I pray that Allah grants me the opportunity to undertake meaningful work for this country and this region, through which I may repay the trust placed in me. I seek everyone's prayers so that I can fulfill my responsibilities and the promises I have made. We want to build a new Kaunia–Pirgachha; we want to build a new Bangladesh," he said.
In Noakhali-6, Abdul Hannan Masud was unofficially elected with 90,118 votes, defeating Mahbubur Rahman Shamim of BNP by a margin of 26,746 votes.
Meanwhile, in Madaripur-1 (Shibchar), Said Uddin Ahmad Hanzala secured a narrow victory with 64,909 votes, edging past BNP nominee Nadira Akter, who received 64,524 votes.
Notable defeat
Among the defeated Gen Z candidates, the most prominent was Sarjis Alam, the NCP's chief organiser (Northern Region).
He lost the Panchagarh-1 seat by approximately 8,000 votes. Barrister Naushad Zamir, contesting with the 'Dhaner Sheesh' symbol, was unofficially declared elected with 176,169 votes, while Sarjis Alam secured 168,049.
The July mass uprising has often been dubbed the "Gen Z Revolution". Following the fall of the Awami League government in 2024, youth participation in national politics has increased markedly — a shift reflected in this year's general election.
