What Bangladesh's young politicians can learn from Zohran Mamdani

Right after being elected as the Democratic primary candidate for the mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani quoted Nelson Mandela while addressing his supporters.

"In the words of Nelson Mandela: 'It always seems impossible until it is done.' My friends, we have done it," he said as the hall erupted in applause. Few could argue with the sentiment.

Just months earlier, Mamdani was an unknown 33-year-old assemblyman from Queens, dismissed by many as an idealist with no real chance. His mother is Mira Nair, a celebrated film director and his father is Professor Mahmood Mamdani, teaches at Columbia.

His opponent was a political heavyweight — Andrew Cuomo, former governor of New York, backed by billionaires, media endorsements, and decades of name recognition. 

Yet, when the primary voting concluded, it was Mamdani who emerged victorious. The general election is scheduled for November and that race might tell a different story, but for now, let us focus on Mamdani.

His rise to become the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor is not only a local political upset, it is a case study in how underdogs, with the right strategy and spirit, can overcome entrenched power.

And for Bangladesh's emerging class of young politicians, Mamdani's campaign offers an unusually relevant lesson in what it takes to connect, inspire, and win in today's political landscape.

The power of a ground game

Mamdani did not win with glitz, gimmicks, or political dynasty. He won with work — and by building an unapologetically people-first campaign from the ground up.

When he launched his mayoral bid, few took him seriously. Even his prior record in the state legislature was modest: of the more than 20 bills he had introduced in four years, only three had passed into law.

But he had something that most candidates lacked: clarity, authenticity and a hunger to serve. His campaign zeroed in on the struggles of working-class New Yorkers — skyrocketing rent, unaffordable childcare and broken public transport.

These were not abstract policy talking points. These were kitchen-table issues, delivered in clear, accessible language.

Mamdani's campaign office was not confined to town halls and donor banquets. With the goal of knocking on one million doors, he (and his team) traversed the length of New York City, held meetings in subway stations, and posted videos breaking fast during Ramadan on the train. In his own words, "We have built a movement where everyday New Yorkers recognise themselves in our vision of democracy."

That movement became his strength. Volunteers canvassed in the rain, filmed multilingual campaign videos, and raised millions entirely from small donors — including over $1.5 million through just grassroots crowdfunding.

Beyond his ground game, Mamdani's campaign has also taken aim at Donald Trump's influence on the city. Calling himself "Donald Trump's worst nightmare," he promised to "kick the fascist ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] out of New York City" and make the city "Trump-proof."

The remarks drew national pushback — especially from Trump's border czar Tom Homan, who warned of expanded ICE raids in response. But Mamdani remains undeterred. 

Digital fluency meets community trust

At the heart of Mamdani's campaign was a mastery of modern communication. But it was not just about going viral, rather about being real.

Mamdani's social media strategy cut through the noise by speaking plainly and visually. He posted videos that felt more like conversations than campaign materials.

For example, he made one video in Hindi to reach the Indian-Americans, one in Spanish to reach the Hispanics, and another in Bangla for the Bangladeshi-Americans.

In return, he has gotten massive support from those communities. Many Bangladeshi-origin politicians and community leaders endorsed him, which includes Shahana Hanif, a member of New York City Council, and Maf Misbah Uddin, the national president of the Alliance of South Asian American Labor (Asaal).

Whether through Bollywood references, rapped policy points, or speaking in his voters' own languages, he built a connection that felt genuine to his voters, not performative.

This "politics of no translation," as he described it, resonated widely. "It's when you speak directly to the crises that people are facing, with no intermediaries in between. We need a politics that is direct, that speaks to people's own lives. If I tell you that I'm going to freeze your rent, you know exactly what I mean."

His multilingual messaging, combined with a focus on affordability, made his campaign relatable to New York's most diverse communities — many of whom had long been ignored in electoral politics.

Such engagement carries important implications for Bangladesh, where a new generation of voters — always online and acutely aware of political theatre — is demanding more transparency, more responsiveness and more imagination.

In contrast, many of the older political players in Bangladesh remain fixated on legacy tactics: motorcades, mass rallies and posters plastered across walls. These methods, though still visible, no longer hold the same persuasive power in a digital-first world.

A lesson in clarity

One of Mamdani's great strengths was his ability to distil complex challenges into focused, understandable proposals. Rent freezes. Free public buses. Universal childcare. These were not utopian dreams, but anchored in real-life needs.

In debates and talk shows on television, he consistently linked policies to the daily lives of ordinary citizens. His charisma never strayed into grandiosity, his confidence never slipped into condescension. Whether facing friendly interviewers or hostile podiums, Mamdani remained clear, calm and connected.

In Bangladesh, as youth-led political parties like the National Citizen Party (NCP) and United People's (UP) Bangladesh gain traction, such communication offers a valuable model. These groups, born out of recent student uprisings and fuelled by social media activism, have the opportunity to shape a new political vocabulary — one that is honest, issue-focused and driven by shared lived experience.

As research from the Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center reveals, over 80% of young people say they will only support candidates untainted by corruption allegations. Nearly three-fourths want lower age thresholds for candidates, and more than 25% endorse forming entirely new parties to lead the country.

The appetite for change is real, but it must be matched with preparation, discipline and delivery.

As Bangladesh moves towards its 2026 elections, the country is witnessing a surge in the political consciousness of the youth that have already toppled barriers — which started with removing a sitting prime minister.

But the challenge now is consolidation. Can these movements transform their momentum into meaningful political presence?

This is where Mamdani's campaign offers a critical lesson: personality matters, but structure wins.

New Bangladeshi leaders must avoid the temptation to mimic the very political styles they seek to replace. For example, "Noya Bondobosto" (New Settlements) is a catchphrase that NCP leaders often love to use. Mamdani's campaign practically shows how a "Noya Bondobosto" can truly be implemented in real life over the old settlements and a rotten political culture.

A significant share of Bangladeshi voters — particularly Gen Z and late millennials — have never experienced a truly fair national election. Many are disillusioned with the outdated political practices that have dominated for decades.

Youth-led parties now have a rare opportunity to channel that frustration into meaningful change, and offer a fresh political culture grounded in transparency, inclusion, and accountability. If seized with care and strategy, this moment could mark the beginning of a renewed, more representative democratic practice.

Mamdani declared in his speech, "We have renewed our democracy. We have given our city permission to believe again." If Bangladesh's youth leaders can stay grounded in community, read the youth's demands and be disciplined in message, they too can give their country permission to believe again.