NCP to Propose Voting Age of 16 Citing Gen-Z Uprising; Rejects Awami League's Legitimacy

The National Citizen Party (NCP) is set to submit its preliminary reform proposals to the National Consensus Commission on Sunday, calling for a significant shift in electoral norms: reducing the voting age to 16 and setting the minimum age for parliamentary candidates at 23.

At a press briefing held at the NCP's office in Rupayan Tower, Banglamotor, Dhaka, the party’s reform coordination focal point, Sarwar Tushar, outlined the key proposals, framing them as a response to the wave of youth-led political activism.

“The recent movement in Bangladesh has been recognized as a Gen-Z uprising,” Tushar said. “It is unacceptable that this generation will be denied the right to vote in the upcoming election simply because they are under 18.”

Tushar emphasized that the NCP’s proposal to lower the voting age to 16 aims to enfranchise politically aware and engaged youth.

On the issue of parliamentary candidacy, Tushar said that while the Constitution Reform Commission has recommended lowering the minimum age from 25 to 21, the NCP finds that threshold too low. 

Currently, the Bangladesh Constitution requires parliamentary candidates to be at least 25 years old.

At the briefing, Tushar also called the Awami League “an anti-national force” and “an agent of India.” He said, any political movement initiated by the Awami League would be aimed at destabilizing the country, rather than serving the public interest.

In such situations, law enforcement must have the authority to use force if necessary to maintain stability, he said.

The NCP’s forthcoming submission is expected to add to the growing list of contentious proposals being considered by the National Consensus Commission, as the country navigates a turbulent political transition and prepares for future elections.