M. Niaz Asadullah at Project Syndicate: The mass uprisings in the Arab world failed partly because young people played only a limited role in them. In Bangladesh, by contrast, Gen Z protesters led the charge, and they have not stopped at bringing down a dictator. Before a transitional government was created, students and Boy Scouts stepped in to fill the void, performing the duties of traffic police, cleaning crews, and security personnel. In a heartening sign of what could be, Muslim student volunteers guarded temples and protected Hindu communities.
Most importantly, Bangladeshi youth are exercising political agency, establishing a framework for what comes next, and articulating a vision of good governance and a merit-based society. Instead of waiting for the army or mainstream political parties to take charge, they convinced Yunus to do so. With Hasina’s rubber-stamp parliament dissolved and Yunus’s interim government sworn in, Bangladesh has embraced a more inclusive style of leadership – two leaders of the anti-discrimination student group have been appointed to the cabinet. As long as the country’s elites accept this new reality, and as long as the youth movement remains committed, the country’s “Bangla Spring” will continue…
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