Expectations are running high as the country prepares for a newly elected government following BNP’s sweeping victory in Thursday’s poll. As the country enters a new phase of democratic transition, three demands dominate public discussion: security, prices and jobs.
Business owners want protection from extortion, daily wage earners hope for lower food prices, and young people speak of employment opportunities and a state free from fear.
While the festive and violence-free voting day has offered hope, many say the real test begins now — how quickly the new administration can ease the pressures and uncertainties of daily life.
“Attacks and extortion by activists of big political parties against ordinary traders must stop first,” said 37-year-old timber merchant Robiul Islam.
“In the first 100 days, the government’s priority should be creating an extortion-free environment and ensuring public safety through the administration,” he added.
Rising living costs have placed severe strain on households, particularly among low-income groups. Many say reducing the prices of essential goods must be an urgent priority.
For 62-year-old rickshaw driver Mohammad Murshidul Islam, the hope is modest. He says he wants to live peacefully and afford two simple meals a day.
“Business should be revived and jobs created for the unemployed,” he told TIMES.
Eighteen-year-old fish trader Mohammad Sakib says curbing price hikes and stopping violence and extortion should be central tasks.
“Prices keep rising, but people’s incomes are not,” he said. “If I earn five taka and spend four, what will I take home for my family?”
During the campaign, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman pledged economic support measures, including a proposed “family card” programme. Many now expect affordable and improved public healthcare as part of that promise.
Murshida Begum, 32, who sells food on the pavement, says although tickets at Dhaka Medical College Hospital are inexpensive, patients often struggle to receive the treatment they need after purchasing one.
Mohammad Moni, 54, a blacksmith for more than three decades, says ordinary traders need a peaceful environment and protection of their property. He also urges the government to address capital flight and prevent money from being smuggled abroad.
Politically, he hopes the new leadership will treat all citizens equally, regardless of party affiliation.
Ripon, 28, who sells vegetables, says tackling drug abuse should be a top priority. Without security, he argues, law and order cannot be sustained.
Schoolteacher Rushia Khatun, 44, believes security is fundamental. “If there is no safety, all other achievements lose their meaning,” she says.
Many people say they do not want to see a return to what they describe as the “fearful” character of the state during the previous Awami League administration.
Mohammad Bazid, 25, a student at Dhaka University, says the biggest challenge for the new government is to change the image of a “fear-driven” state formed over the past 15 years.
He says he wants effective action within the first 100 days to curb river and air pollution.
Beyond economic and security concerns, people also call for stronger anti-corruption measures, protection for minority communities and the building of a secular and women-friendly state.
There are expectations of firm action against mob violence and so-called “moral policing”, as well as greater accountability for law enforcement agencies.
Kanan Nehar Proma, 24, a student at Dhaka University, says maintaining peace, stabilising the market and ensuring maximum safety for women must come first.
