Muktiforum organises Youth Manifesto Dialogue 2026

Muktiforum on yesterday (31 January) organised the Youth Manifesto Dialogue 2026 at the Royal Paradise Hotel in Dhaka, aiming to gather young people’s perspectives on socio-political policymaking, a press release said.

According to the organisers, the programme ran from 10am to 2pm and brought together students from different universities, who submitted more than 60 manifestos of imaginary political parties and took part in a presentation and debate competition.

The press release said 14 contestants competed in the first round of the final, from which five advanced to the second round.

Three participants were eventually awarded top prizes.

The contest was held in two segments — vision articulation and public engagement, followed by a policy pitch before a jury — encouraging participants to think critically about state policies for public welfare, it added.

The event opened with a welcome speech by Muktiforum executive member Aparajita Debnath. The first round was conducted by co-founder Araf Ibn Saif, where contestants presented manifestos addressing issues such as corruption, clientelist politics, personal security, and the safety of women and gender-diverse people.

Between the two rounds, speeches were delivered by human rights activist Rezaur Rahman Lenin and law lecturer Evnat Bhuiyan, while a presentation titled Gen-Z Ballot was given by M Rajibul Islam Talukdar Bindu, the release said.

The second round, moderated by co-founder Anupam Debashis Roy, editor-in-chief of Muktipotro, featured a debate format among five finalists. The jury panel included representatives from civil society, media and academia, who questioned contestants on issues ranging from traffic management and bribery to national security, cultural rights and environmental protection.

Muktiforum said the initiative reflects its long-standing commitment to promoting liberal, pluralist and pro-people values in Bangladesh, adding that the organisation has been working toward this goal since 2017.

The contest began on 20 January and concluded with a closing ceremony on 31 January, the press release added.