Jobs, cash, loans: Can Bangladesh's parties deliver on election promises?

"Mohaiminul Rafi, 27, has spent years preparing for Bangladesh's civil service exams, chasing what he calls the most reliable route to a secure life: a first-class government job. With election campaigning under way across the country, he is now hearing promises aimed squarely at people like him: cash support or interest-free loans for the jobless, and sweeping job-creation targets. When asked about cash support or interest-free loans for unemployed graduates, Rafi chuckled."

"Now, Bangladesh is heading to an election on February 12. With Hasina's Awami League barred from the ballot, the race is expected to largely revolve around a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led coalition and a bloc led by the Jamaat-e-Islami, which has courted liberal allies, including the uprising-born National Citizen Party. Senior figures from both camps are crisscrossing the country, headlining rallies and stage programmes as campaigning enters its final stretch."

"From platforms to doorsteps to social media, candidates and party activists are tapping familiar anxieties: jobs, price relief, tax cuts, and an end to corruption and discrimination. But analysts and voters say that while many of the promises go to the heart of people's insecurities, the scale of what is being offered might be difficult for any government to realistically deliver at a time when Bangladesh is grappling with multiple economic challenges."

Young Bangladeshis face persistent unemployment and view first-class government jobs as the most reliable path to security, fueling protests and political activism. Major parties are offering cash support, interest-free loans, scholarships for foreign study, and large job-creation targets aimed at the youth vote. The February 12 election is shaped by a BNP-led coalition and a bloc including Jamaat-e-Islami and liberal allies after the Awami League is barred. Voters emphasize merit-based recruitment and healthier job markets, while analysts warn that fiscal strain and wider economic challenges limit the realism of large-scale promises.

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