From reels to real dialogue: How Tarique Rahman is recasting BNP's relationship with youth
Today, Justice Shahabuddin Park did not look like a political venue. Children wandered past, joggers slowed to watch, and curious passers-by gathered at a distance as a circle of young people sat across from a man long seen as distant from street-level politics.
There were no barricades sealing the park off from the city, no stage separating leader from listener. At around 2pm, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman chose to meet the youth of Bangladesh not behind closed doors, but in the open air and, symbolically, on equal ground.
For years, a widely accepted belief had taken root in Bangladesh's political discourse: that the BNP had little room for young voices. That perception only hardened after the July Uprising, as scepticism grew over whether traditional parties could still speak the language of a generation raised on social media, economic uncertainty and political disillusionment.
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Yet, over the past weeks, that stereotype has begun to fracture, largely because of a deliberate shift in how Tarique Rahman is choosing to engage.
His official election campaign did not begin with a mass rally or a fiery speech, but with a conversation. In Sylhet, he launched his campaign through "The Plan: Youth Policy Dialogue with Tarique Rahman", an interactive session where young people questioned him directly on education, employment and governance.
Rather than rehearsed slogans, the focus was policy and, more importantly, listening. That tone carried forward to Gulshan, where the chairman met the ten winners of BNP's national reel-making competition, "Amar Bhabnay Bangladesh".
The competition itself was an experiment in political engagement. Held between 16 and 25 December 2025, it invited citizens to submit one-minute reels on how they imagine Bangladesh's future.
Eleven themes were offered, from family cards and farmer cards to health, education, employment, environmental protection, sports, expatriate welfare, women's empowerment and the vision of a corruption-free Bangladesh.
More than 2,200 reels were submitted by participants from across the country, reflecting a level of digital participation rarely seen in party-led initiatives.
Evaluation was split between public voting, which accounted for 30%, and a jury board, responsible for the remaining 70%. From this process, ten winners were selected, not merely to receive recognition, but to be heard.
Their reward was not a cheque or a certificate, but a seat across the table from the BNP chairman himself.
At Justice Shahabuddin Park, the discussion unfolded without formality. The park remained open throughout the session, reinforcing the sense that this was not a controlled political spectacle but a genuine exchange.
One by one, the young winners spoke offering opinions on policy priorities, debating how proposals such as family cards and farmer cards should be implemented, and openly disagreeing where they felt improvement was needed.
Tarique Rahman listened, responded, and in several moments, pushed them back with questions of his own.
He shared his reflections on the reels, praised their creativity, and offered guidance on how young people can move beyond online expression to meaningful civic contribution.
The message he returned to repeatedly was simple but pointed: the future Bangladesh must be led by its youth, not merely represented by them.
Change, he stressed, cannot be outsourced to a single leader or party; it must be driven from the front by a generation willing to take responsibility.
Sitting beside him was his daughter, Barrister Zaima Rahman, whose presence added another layer to the symbolism of the event.
Having recently taken part in programmes on national policymaking that reflect the hopes and aspirations of younger citizens, she represented a bridge between political legacy and generational renewal.
The father-daughter duo listened together, responded together, and later posed for photographs with the winners.
Earlier in the day, at a press conference, BNP Election Steering Committee spokesperson and chairman's adviser Mahdi Amin had framed the meet-and-greet as part of a broader attempt to incorporate public ideas into state-building.
He reiterated that proposals such as family cards and farmer cards are intended to support women's empowerment and farmers' prosperity, and warned of fraudulent groups demanding money in the name of these initiatives.
If BNP assumes state power through the people's votes, he pledged, these cards will be distributed entirely free of charge to rightful beneficiaries, urging citizens to report any attempts at exploitation.
What set the Gulshan event apart was not just its content, but its form. Bangladesh's major political parties have rarely allowed this level of one-to-one engagement between a party chairman and non-political youth, especially outside controlled venues.
There was no expectation of loyalty, no screening of opinions. The ten participants did not speak as activists, but as citizens — and were treated as such.
This approach reflects a noticeable shift in BNP's campaign strategy. BNP is now experimenting with smaller, policy-focused interactions.
The launch of election and WhatsApp hotlines to receive voter complaints and opinions further signals an attempt to institutionalise feedback rather than fear it.
Critically, these engagements are not being framed as symbolic gestures alone. By starting his campaign with youth dialogues and continuing it through platforms shaped by young people themselves, Tarique Rahman appears intent on reshaping both the image and internal culture of his party.
The emphasis is less on inherited political allegiance and more on participatory politics, a language younger voters are more inclined to understand.
For BNP, and for Tarique Rahman personally, the message was unmistakable, the future is not waiting to be addressed at rallies alone. It is already speaking, sometimes in one-minute reels, sometimes on a park bench, and increasingly, it expects to be heard.
