Kathmandu: Last month, as Nepal inaugurated its new prime minister Balendra Shah, along with a parliament stacked with youthful lawmakers, Bangladeshi activist Umama Fatema felt a pang of disappointment as she watched from afar.
According to BBC, Fatema was among the thousands of Gen Z protesters in Bangladesh who took to the streets in 2024. Like their Nepalese counterparts, they brought down their government in explosive demonstrations. However, nearly two years on, Bangladesh’s youth movement has yet to gain any meaningful political power. In the country’s first post-protest elections held in February, the established Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won a historic majority while the new youth-led National Citizens Party (NCP) – which grew out of the student revolution – did dismally.
In stark contrast, Nepal held a historic election where the four-year-old Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won by a landslide. The victory sent scores of Gen Z politicians to parliament and made former rapper Shah, who made an alliance with the RSP, the leader of Nepal. This success story is rare in Asia, where numerous Gen Z protest movements have struggled to translate street power into political capital.
Nepalese youth leaders attribute their victory to their movement’s resonance with ordinary citizens. The Gen Z protests tapped into deep frustrations with the status quo, said KP Khanal, a newly elected RSP lawmaker. Consistency and a focus on accountability and justice helped transform the movement into a credible force.
Analysts also point to Nepal’s unique political landscape and strategic decisions by the youth movement. With a system favoring coalition governments, the RSP appeared attractive to a public frustrated with the established parties’ political musical chairs. The alliance between Shah and the RSP, despite controversies, provided a broad organizational network crucial for electoral success.
In contrast, Bangladesh’s Gen Z movement faced challenges, including an absence of a robust party structure and controversial political alliances. The NCP’s collaboration with the conservative Jamaat-e-Islami alienated core supporters, leading to a poor electoral performance.
Timing also played a role, with Nepal holding elections within six months of protests, while Bangladesh experienced a year-and-a-half gap, sapping momentum. Despite these setbacks, Bangladesh’s protests reshaped national discourse, leading to a referendum for constitutional reforms.
Both Nepal and Bangladesh’s youth remain committed to fighting for change. Nepal’s new Gen Z lawmakers aim to hold their government accountable, while Bangladeshi activists prepare for potential future protests, inspired by the possibility of new movements led by Generation Alpha.
