After the student-led mass uprising in July-August past year, most of the young people feel more comfortable in expressing their opinions on public platforms compared with what they felt under the past government, according to a study released on Monday.
The Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center, a non-governmental organisation, conducted the study between October and December 2024.
A total of 3,238 participants responded 鈥� 1,575 in person and 1,663 online 鈥� and the study gathered insights from young people on education, health, livelihoods, climate change, justice, democracy, governance, peace and justice, access to information and their future aspirations.
According to the report, 73.6 per cent of the youth responded in person are feeling more freedom of expression now while 81.5 per cent of the youth responded online holds the same opinion.
BYLC executive director Tahsinah Ahmed said that their target was to inform the government to know about the opinion of the youths.
鈥楻egardless of all challenges, the majority of the youth remain firmly hopeful for Bangladesh鈥檚 positive transformation,鈥� she said at a press conference for the report launching held at Mohakhali in the capital Dhaka.
The survey usually took place every five years to capture youth perspectives on the country鈥檚 current state and future aspirations, but the latest was conducted early to observe the changes happened after the fall of Awami League on August 5, 2024.
In the study, entrepreneurship was reconfirmed as a favoured career path among Bangladeshi youth, with 52.5 per cent of in-person respondents and 51.5 per cent of online respondents expressing a strong desire to pursue this career choice.
Of the respondents, 71 per cent of in-person and 86.4 per cent of online participants believe that student politics obstructs proper learning environment on campuses.
Total 77.4 per cent of the in-person respondents feels that Bangladesh鈥檚 education system adequately prepares students with the necessary skills for employment while 79.3 per cent of the online respondents thinks the opposite.
The rising cost of living is a growing concern, with 75.1 per cent of the in-person respondents and 64.8 per cent of the online respondents identifying it as detrimental to their mental and physical health.
A significant portion of the youth, 21.8 per cent of the in-person respondents and 47.8 per cent of the online respondents expressed a desire to settle abroad.
