Bangladesh celebrated 50 years of independence in 2021 – a young country with a young population, and aspirations. According to the recent census, the total population of Bangladesh stands at 169.8 million, and 27.96 percent of them are young people, aged between 15 and 29 years. Compared with the 2011 census, the percentage of young people increased from 26 percent to 27 percent. The latest Labour Force Survey (2022) indicates that the youth labour force, aged between 15 and 29 years, stands at 26.82 million, or 36.53 percent of the total labour force, which is 73.41 million.

This data indicates that Bangladesh has an unprecedented upsurge of young people in its demography. However, they have limited scope of participation and access to leadership structures to shape national development agenda. Traditions, hierarchical and patriarchal norms, and practices leave young people, particularly young women, and other marginalised groups aside, limiting their access and opportunities to engage in decision-making structures. Current representation trend in parliament reflects a similar trend where only 0.29 percent of its members are under 30 and 5.71 percent are under 40 years of age.