In 2024, the Generation Z in Bangladesh that toppled an authoritarian regime is facing a harsh reality little more than a year later. They succeeded in overthrowing the government, but the sense that finding a job remains difficult is spreading among young people. In Bangladesh, ahead of the first general election since the revolution, young people said, "The regime changed, but life has not."
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 10th (local time), Faruk Ahmed Sifon, 25, took to the streets in July last year to protest job prospects. After repeatedly failing to find work after graduating from college, he joined the protests out of anger at the government's quota for key posts and unfair hiring practices. The demonstrations escalated into a nationwide uprising, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had ruled for a long time, was eventually ousted. Former Prime Minister Hasina was a symbolic figure who had held power for most of the period since Sifon was born. The events also influenced youth protests in other developing countries such as Nepal, Indonesia and Madagascar.
But the reality after the revolution diverged from expectations. Sifon, who earned a master's degree in English, applied to schools, banks and rural public facilities companies, but was rejected across the board. He now makes about $290 a month (about 400,000 won) by tutoring English and giving private lessons to make ends meet. Half of his income goes to his mother's living expenses. He married last year, but he still lives with his family because of financial difficulties.
According to Bangladesh government statistics, about 900,000 of the total unemployed are college graduates, nearly double the figure in 2017. The unemployment rate among college graduates rose from 5% in 2010 to about 14% in 2024. By contrast, the unemployment rate among those without formal education remains in the 1% range. A paradoxical structure has formed in which the higher the education level among young people, the harder it is to get a job. In recent years, the number of universities has surged, sending at least 700,000 graduates into the labor market every year, but critics say corporate demand does not match what is taught.
Economic conditions have also worsened. Growth had slowed even before the change of government, and concerns about corruption, bureaucracy and poor infrastructure have chilled investment at home and abroad. Foreign direct investment has fallen over the past four years, and capital goods imports in the 2025 fiscal year dropped about 26% from a year earlier. The World Bank analyzed that total employment in 2024 decreased by about 2 million from the previous year, and that an additional 800,000 jobs disappeared on the following year.
The garment industry, which has supported the Bangladesh economy, is no exception. Employment in the garment sector fell from 4.1 million in 2019 to 3.7 million last year. Analysts say the introduction of automated equipment and AI-based design systems has sharply reduced manpower. The head of a major manufacturer said, "We need skilled workers who can go straight to the shop floor," adding that the company almost never hires college graduates.
The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has promised democratic reforms and economic recovery, but many say the tangible results felt by young people are limited. With a close race expected between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist party "Jamaat-e-Islami" ahead of the general election, religious tensions and violent incidents are adding to political uncertainty. Investors are staying on the sidelines.
Sifon's classmate Abu Said was killed by police gunfire during protests last year. His death became a catalyst for spreading the demonstrations into a nationwide uprising. But among those who took part in the revolution, few have secured stable jobs. Sifon said, "Only Sheikh Hasina has changed; everything else is the same," adding that he is considering emigrating.