The Bangladesh Dialogue (TBD) launched the inaugural episode of TBD Town Hall, titled “Rallying Towards the Future: Thoughts of Bangladeshi Youth,” with a vision to bring the country’s young voices to the forefront of national discourse. The program gathered students, young professionals, and emerging leaders from diverse backgrounds to engage in a lively dialogue about Bangladesh’s democratic trajectory, governance, education system, and socio-economic challenges.
At a time when the nation stands at a political and developmental crossroads, Kazi Rakib Hossain, Chief Operations Officer, The Bangladesh Dialogue, welcomed the town hall by stating a timely forum for introspection — inviting the generation that will shape the next chapter of Bangladesh’s journey to speak freely and think boldly.
Participants exchanged ideas around four central themes: education and employment, governance and politics, the democratic process, and health and environment. From calls for stronger institutions and accountability to appeals for a reimagined education system and inclusive policy design, the conversations painted a multifaceted portrait of what the country’s youth demand from their future.
The dialogue reflected TBD’s continuing mission: to serve as an open, non-partisan space where civic participation, critical thought, and democratic engagement converge.
Education and Employment
Few issues resonated as urgently as education — the foundation of opportunity and empowerment. Several speakers voiced concern that Bangladesh’s education sector, while expanded in scale, remains fragmented and often disconnected from the realities of the job market.
Hasibul Islam Rafi lamented that many graduates today find themselves “poorer than street vendors,” not for lack of ambition, but because “education is not being used properly.” He pointed out that the country’s mushrooming universities often fail to fulfil their basic academic and developmental roles, citing a lack of laboratories, innovation hubs, and partnerships with private industries. This gap, he argued, has stalled innovation and deepened unemployment, leaving many young people underprepared for the demands of the modern economy.
Echoing Rafi’s concerns, Imran Hossain highlighted how the politicisation of educational institutions has eroded quality and purpose. Despite the proliferation of universities, he observed that Bangladesh continues to fall behind in the global knowledge index. “We have politicised our institutions but have not focused on the quality of education,” he said, underscoring how the lack of incentives for teachers and researchers has fostered “shadow unemployment” — graduates trained for jobs that do not exist.
Sraboni Akter shifted the focus to structural inadequacies, emphasising that the government’s education budget — “less than two per cent of national expenditure” — is far below international standards. With underpaid teachers and outdated curriculum, she argued, the system fails to equip students with practical skills or civic awareness. Sraboni also emphasised that students must be “integrated into the democratic process” so that the classroom becomes a site not only of learning but of active civic engagement.
Arpita Golder called for a sweeping reform of the entire education infrastructure. She proposed establishing a centralised body to revolutionise the system, from financing to curriculum design, job placement, and ensuring employment security. In her remarks, Arpita also cautioned against the regressive narratives that threaten women’s access to education and participation in the workforce. “Political rhetoric that undermines women’s roles in education or employment,” she warned, “undermines national progress itself.”
Naorin Neetee and Maisha Maliha addressed the socio-cultural factors limiting educational outcomes. Many students, Naorin said, are “forced into subjects they have no passion for,” leading to disengagement and diminished performance. While Maisha Maliha emphasised the need to integrate foreign-educated graduates into the domestic workforce, noting that many returnees struggle to find appropriate platforms to apply their global knowledge. For young women, early marriage remains a barrier to realising their full potential. She called for greater counselling, flexible study options, and family-level awareness to help students pursue education aligned with their interests and capacities.
Taken together, these reflections illustrated a recurring theme: the need to link education to employability, policy to practicality, and learning to nation-building. The consensus was clear — a new educational vision must merge quality, inclusivity, and innovation to empower the youth not only as job seekers, but as creators and change-makers.
Governance and Politics
Governance and politics formed the most impassioned segment of the Town Hall. Youth participants spoke with candour about corruption, institutional decay, and the pressing need for accountability across all levels of government.
Numan Ahmed Choudhury opened the discussion by declaring that the government must act “as a government should, not as a mafia system,” which had been the case for the past 16 years. Reflecting on past regimes, he warned against the entrenchment of authoritarian habits and the absence of civic oversight. He urged reforms that would make demographic transitions and administrative accountability integral to preventing any future “fascist government.”
Sajjad Hossain echoed these sentiments, arguing that despite decades of political change — from military rule to civilian administrations — “good governance has not been achieved because the will to maintain it is missing.” He lamented the persistent lack of constitutional reform and the weaknesses of the Election Commission. In his view, the erosion of public trust has alienated citizens from their representatives. “We see our representatives as vile,” he noted, “and cannot put trust in them.” Sajjad called for civic education programs and feedback mechanisms that would rebuild trust between people and politicians, making governance a participatory process rather than a top-down command.
Tanzila Hossain Boishakhi directed attention to the rule of law and institutional balance. Citing recent actions by student leaders uprooting street vendors, she argued that such behaviour “proves the rule of law does not exist.” She stressed the importance of checks and balances between the three branches of government, warning against the rise of mobocracy and the government’s failure to address civic unrest following recent political shifts. Boishakhi also criticised Article 70 of the Constitution, which prevents legislators from voting against their party, calling it a major obstacle to parliamentary independence. She advocated for a stronger judiciary and even the appointment of an Ombudsman to safeguard accountability. Strengthening local government, she said, would bridge the widening gap between state and citizen.
From another vantage point, Kazi Sakib observed that the post-revolution political environment has witnessed “a dialectical reverse — one autocrat gone, another returned.” He expressed disappointment that the promise of the July Revolution had yet to translate into systemic reform. Sakib underscored the importance of building “proper interconnection between the state and its citizens” and urged collaboration across political divides for the sake of national unity.
Meanwhile, Rezwan Ahmed Rifat advocated for a sustainable approach to public finance and a national merit policy to ensure the optimal use of the country’s human capital. He stressed the need for participatory planning and a national framework for civic engagement, through which citizens could influence policy formation and implementation.
These interventions converged on a single demand: governance in Bangladesh must evolve from the personalised and partisan to the institutional and accountable. The youth called for transparency, meritocracy, and a civic culture that treats public service as a responsibility, not a privilege. Echoing, Aslam Beg Sayem, Director, The Bangladesh Dialogue, added a constitutional dimension, stressing that “the rule of law must be implemented and elections must be held every five years.” Accountability, he argued, is meaningless without regular, credible elections that refresh public mandate. “Governments must remain answerable to the people,” Sayem said, warning against political complacency and overstay in power.
Democratic Process
In discussing the state of democracy, participants returned repeatedly to one theme — the loss of trust between citizens, institutions, and political actors.
Abdullah Al Numan highlighted the danger of misinformation in undermining democratic cohesion. Since the July Revolution, he noted, false narratives have been weaponised to confuse and divide the public. For democracy to function, he argued, governance must become “a people’s government, not a party’s government.” Numan also urged that citizens be provided with access to the Secretariat, symbolising transparency and accessibility within the bureaucracy.
Taposhi Rabeya expanded on this crisis of trust. “People have lost social trust among each other,” she said, explaining how this deterioration poisons the relationship between citizens and the state. Rebuilding that trust, she argued, begins with depoliticising educational institutions and allowing them to function independently. She introduced the concept of structural functionalism — the idea that every institution should fulfil its designated role without undue interference. Additionally, Rabeya pointed out that opportunities for women to participate in dialogues remain limited and called for deliberate inclusion of female voices in democratic processes.
Md. Shiyan Sadik addressed inequality in representation, pointing out that “students from certain institutions are consistently prioritised” in both dialogue platforms and employment opportunities. He urged the creation of a fairer system of selection and recognition that values diversity and merit. Shiyan also emphasised that dialogues like TBD’s must move beyond discussion to implementation, ensuring that policy recommendations are carried forward into action.
Tasmia Ferdous Tithlee examined another facet of democratic stagnation: the failure to engage communities at the grassroots level. She spoke of “unconscious happiness” — a complacency that blinds citizens to structural inequalities. Tithlee criticised non-state actors who focus on charity rather than empowerment. “We must enable people to earn, not just give them aid,” she asserted, framing economic inclusion as a democratic imperative.
From an institutional lens, Fariha Tabassum Progga underscored the role of non-state actors in bridging gaps between government and citizens. While acknowledging their contribution to development, she cautioned that without proper state coordination, the voices of marginalised groups — “day labourers and rickshaw pullers” — would remain unheard. She called for better fund allocation, particularly in health and local governance, and advocated for building domestic markets instead of relying excessively on external influences.
Collectively, these voices portrayed democracy not as a static system but as a relationship — one that must be rebuilt on trust, inclusion, and shared responsibility. Their insights reflected a generation seeking to transform Bangladesh’s political culture from contestation to cooperation.
Health and Environment
The final theme — health and environment — anchored the discussion in the broader question of sustainability. For the young participants, development divorced from environmental and public health concerns is no development at all.
Hasibul Islam Rafi, who earlier emphasised education, linked environmental well-being directly to national prosperity. He insisted that “health and environment must be at the core of development,” urging policymakers to treat them not as peripheral issues but as central to economic planning and governance.
Fariha Tabassum Progga revisited this issue, calling for a better approach to the health sector through both government intervention and grassroots mobilisation. Without improved funding, she warned, the most vulnerable groups would remain excluded from progress.
These calls were echoed by others who pointed to Bangladesh’s growing urban-rural divide, pollution crises, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure as urgent challenges. Meherba Sabrin, Director, The Bangladesh Dialogue, drew attention to resource distribution and inclusive development, arguing that unequal access to resources fuels discontent and erodes the legitimacy of institutions. She emphasised the importance of “a proper parliamentary process” that ensures all voices — especially marginalised ones — are represented in decision-making.
The first episode of TBD Town Hall was a mirror reflecting the frustrations, hopes, and determination of a generation unwilling to remain silent. Across education, governance, democracy, and sustainability, participants articulated a common yearning for reform rooted in integrity and progress grounded in inclusion. As Bangladesh stands at a pivotal moment in its democratic evolution, the voices heard at the Town Hall remind us that progress is not measured solely in economic terms but in the strength of the institutions, trust, and collective purpose that bind a nation together. In the concluding remarks, S.M. Saif Kader Rubab, Director, The Bangladesh Dialogue, emphasised the elected governments acting upon “in good faith with their citizens” to maintain mutual trust and respect in order to hail a civically engaged, inclusive and prosperous Bangladesh. Echoing his calls, Aslam Beg Sayem called for bridging divides, amplifying young voices, and fostering a culture of critical engagement through discussions, dialogues, and debates.