After a student-led uprising toppled Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule in August 2024, 173 million Bangladeshis are voting in what many are calling a watershed election. But what exactly changed between the euphoria of revolution and the reality of the ballot box? In this explosive conversation from Dhaka, former National Citizen Party member and LGBTQ+ activist Muntasir Rahman opens up about casting his vote in an election that promises reform, yet carries familiar undertones. From being expelled from a student-led party for his pro-LGBTQ views, to watching that same party ally with Jamaat-e-Islami, Rahman asks the uncomfortable question: was the uprising hijacked? Were external actors involved? Has Bangladesh traded one form of political exclusion for another? Why are women still barely represented on the ballot? And will the NCP break ties with Jamaat after the elections or carry that baggage forward? As referendums on institutional reform unfold alongside the vote, one thing is clear: Bangladesh is at a crossroads. The question is which way will it turn?
E-Paper
