The country’s young voters are expected to play a major role in the upcoming 12th parliamentary elections.
According to the Election Commission (EC), there are currently 3 crore 85 lakh voters between the ages of 18 and 33 in Bangladesh. This represents about 34 per cent of the country's total voter population.
In 2008, there were only 8 crore 10 lakh million voters in Bangladesh. This means that the number of voters has increased by over 3 crore 85 lakh since then. Among them, 1 crore 54 lakh new voters are expected to vote for the first time in the upcoming elections.
Analysts said that the support of young voters, who make up nearly one-third of the country's voting population, will be crucial to determining which party comes to power.
In response, political parties are tailoring their campaigns to appeal to young voters. They are focusing on issues such as jobs, education, and climate change, which are important to young people. The EC is taking steps to make it easier for young voters to vote. For example, voters can now check their polling station online and submit their nomination papers online.
When asked about the influence of young voters in the election, the former election commissioner Shahnewaz told Bangladesh Pratidin, "Our country's votes are basically divided into two or three. That consistency is coming not much manipulation. However, there is variation in the number of new voters, depending on how much a party can attract young voters through its election manifesto. There is not much difference in the voting rate of the two main parties of the country. Therefore, young voters will become a factor in the election.”
According to the data of the EC, 72, 17, 029 voters are aged 18 to 21 years. 1, 09, 87, 469 aged 22 to 25 years. 1, 14, 29, 974 voters are aged 26 to 29 years.
Apart from this, there are 99, 05, 252 voters aged between 30 and 33 years. 13, 88, 4367 voters aged 34 to 37 years. 1, 32, 62, 325 voters aged 38 to 41 years. 97, 11, 929 voters aged 42 to 45 years. Voters aged 46 to 49 years are 77, 54, 919. 83, 36, 036 voters aged 50 to 53 years. 66, 17, 515 voters aged 54 to 57 years. Voters aged 58 to 60 are 32, 77, 901 and voters above 60 are 1, 84, 87, 998.
(The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on November 22 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan)
