A misreading of Gen Z’s ‘political disconnect’ set the stage for Hasina’s ouster

'Lost in their own delulu' or 'Always ensnared in their own bubble' — these phrases are often used to define Gen Z, people born between 1997 and 2012. Before the July Uprising last year, most people in our country were mostly of the same opinion that this was not a generation we could look up to, let alone expect them to catalyse seismic changes in the society. 

The argument against Gen Z held water mostly because they were a bit reclusive in nature as far as the question of social and political participation was concerned. 

To be specific, the expression "I hate politics" became synonymous with Gen Z, symbolising their aversion to the concept. This perception gained currency and almost turned into something taken for granted. Then the July Uprising happened, ripping to shreds the long-held stereotypical perceptions about Gen Z's political apathy. 

From a global perspective, Gen Z is reshaping democracy throughout the world. Gen Z voters are actively taking part in an electoral process in democracies worldwide, insinuating that they do have opinions of their own and they want to engage themselves in the political process. 

Available data, including the findings of the study called 'Gen Zers are anything but politically ill-informed', do not support the idea that those belonging to Gen Z are less informed about politics or history. 

The level of awareness among Bangladesh's Gen Z is almost similar. Our good luck is that the Awami League and its top brass were in a deep slumber, mostly out of touch with the belief systems of the young generation.

There was a perception among people from all walks of life, including the politicians, that the younger generation lacks socio-political awareness, is only interested in things that serve their purpose, and makes excuses to duck out of their responsibilities. 

Antithetical to what was presumed, Gen Z rose to prominence during the 2018 Road Safety Protests. Following the death of two students in a bus accident, young people, particularly the students, burst into protests demanding safer roads. 

That movement was significant for many reasons, the most notable being the fact that young people who were believed to be socially irresponsible exhibited calm temperament and also engaged the masses along with parents in their protests. In the face of strong protests, the then-government had to acquiesce to their demands, paving the way for enacting the Road Transport Act-2018. 

This was a defining moment for the young generation since they showed courage as well as political maturity as they demonstrated peacefully, foiling any mala fide intent of the then government to play any foul tricks from their old playbook. 

Because of such calculated steps, it almost became impossible for the Awami League to dictate their "brotherly student organisation" to swoop down on the protesters and muzzle them. 

"Awami League got disconnected from the whole society owing to the lack of credible elections, weak political economy, persecution of dissent and enforced disappearances. There is no doubt that the distance between the AL and those belonging to Gen Z was, however, more."

Altaf Parvez, researcher, South and Southeast Asian history

Despite the fact that the younger generation put up a good show and signs of their political awareness was clearly evident, Awami League failed to take note of the inner implications. This was because the top leadership was suffering from complacency, unaware of the impending dangers of turning a blind eye to the feelings and aspirations of the younger generation.

In the subsequent years, the Awami League got further disconnected from the young generation as well as the whole society. Especially, certain issues had knock-on impacts on the psyche of those belonging to Gen Z. 

A culture of intimidation enforced by the student wing of the ruling party led to seething anger among young students. The situation in different campuses was inhuman as the members of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) did everything to blow the wind out of the ordinary students' sails, plunging their lives into abject misery.

Most importantly, engineered elections disenfranchised millions of young voters. After Bangladesh's transition into a hybrid regime, the last three elections held under the Awami League in 2014, 2018, and 2024 engendered a lot of controversy. As Gen Z voters could not exercise their rights, they felt betrayed. 

While pulling every string to stay in power, the Awami League seriously offended the sentiment of the members of Gen Z and the distance between the ruling party and this particular generation only grew further. 

Speaking to The Business Standard, Altaf Parvez, a researcher of South and Southeast Asian history and politics, opined, "Awami League got disconnected from the whole society owing to lack of credible elections, weak political economy, persecution of the dissent and enforced disappearance. There is no doubt that the distance between the AL and those belonging to Gen Z was, however, more."

Awami League frustrated the youth terribly. The situation that prevailed in the campuses was intolerable, he continued. 

In the last few years of the regime, their biggest blunder was their inability to identify themselves with the pulse of the young generation. That's why, when the High Court issued a directive instructing the government to reinstate 30% quotas for the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters in government jobs, young students (most of them belonging to Gen Z) did not spare even a moment to raise their voice, sparking fresh protests that soon turned into a wildfire. 

Sheikh Hasina made a mockery of their legitimate demands by throwing choice words at the protesters. 

The uprising by this particular group of young people led to the quota movement, which then spread into other sections of the society after 15 July 2024, escalating into a nationwide uprising against Sheikh Hasina and her government. 

"We had a perception that Gen Z does not understand politics, isn't interested in politics, and always remains glued to the smartphone. But this is not the reality," Altaf Parvez said. 

Those belonging to Gen Z definitely understand politics; they also have a good grasp of global politics, but they did not have the opportunity to deliver. They did not get a proper chance to talk about and share their insights, Parvez added. 

This generation is, in fact, so audacious that even Gen Z women did not hesitate to take part in the protests and take it to the streets, jeopardising their safety and putting their lives on the line. In many places where violence ensued, women protesters rushed to the front line of the protests expecting that such a strategy might deter the law enforcement agencies from opening fire on their male counterparts. 

There is no denying that those in power as well as the common people undermined the strength of the young people belonging to Generation Z. This, however, yielded something really monumental for all of us. 

We come across some defining moments when the normal flow of time paces up and shifts direction. 2024 was definitely one of those moments when Gen Z rose up to the occasion, and demanded a reckoning — one of the past mistakes and misdeeds committed by Hasina and her cohorts, which eventually led us to the long-anticipated emancipation from the shackles of fascism.