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. “Of course it would help,” he said. Then he paused. “But honestly, what matters more is a healthy job market and recruitment on merit.”Rafi was among the wave of young people who joined the 2024 protests that began over a job reservation system many saw as unfair and later spiralled into a nationwide uprising that toppled then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.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 …
