Will Thursday’s elections be a watershed moment for Bangladesh?

Following weeks of demonstrations, in August 2024, millions of young protesters in Bangladesh managed to topple the government of prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who had been in power for 15 years.

After a transitional period, voters there will now cast ballots in general elections and a constitutional referendum.

And many hope Thursday’s poll will transform the energy of those mass demonstrations into real political change and consolidate the foundations of democracy in Bangladesh.

But after decades of political instability, just how much of a challenge will that be?

Presenter: James Bays

Guests:

Ashikur Rahman – Political analyst and a principal economist at the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh

Prapti Taposhi – Activist and a first-time voter in these general elections

Thomas Kean – Senior consultant for Myanmar and Bangladesh at the International Crisis Group