Getting a job is harder than toppling a government for Bangladesh’s Gen Z

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. RANGPUR, Bangladesh—In July 2024, when young Bangladeshis frustrated with their job prospects were taking to the streets, Faruk Ahmed Shipon joined them each day. To the amazement of the 25-year-old, the demonstrations grew into a revolution that toppled Bangladesh’s authoritarian leader, Sheikh Hasina, who had ruled the country for most of Shipon life.

Their success helped inspire a string of similar protests by young people in countries such as Nepal, Indonesia and Madagascar. But now, as Bangladesh prepares to vote in the first national elections since that Gen Z revolution, Shipon—who has struggled to find work since finishing graduate school last year—is losing hope that new leaders can solve the problems that are plaguing so many in his generation. “A job is the first priority for me," he said.

“If I have money, I can dream of many things. But if I have no money, how do we eat? How do we clothe ourselves? Where would we live?" Shipon’s frustration reflects a broader reckoning for Bangladesh’s young protesters. Many believed that ousting Hasina would usher in a more democratic system and unlock economic opportunity.

Instead, millions of university graduates are entering the bleakest job market in years. The interim government that took over in 2024, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has promised democratic and economic reforms but has delivered few tangible results, critics say. Indeed, many young people are particularly disappointed that student leaders, who initially joined the new government and then formed the National Citizen Party, have failed to improve their lives.

Bangladesh will hold parliamentary elections on Feb. 12, its first since Hasina’s downfall. With her