‘Political narratives must align with social values for inclusive change’
Political narratives must reflect social values and create space for inclusive political transformation, speakers said at a workshop in the capital on Saturday.
The workshop titled “Transformative Change-making and Political Strategy Making” was organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) with support from Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Bangladesh at a city hotel.
Young women political activists from different political parties and student organisations attended the programme as part of an initiative aimed at strengthening women’s political leadership and democratic participation.
The workshop focused on transformative political change, strategic planning, collective action and narrative building in democratic politics. Through interactive discussions and practical exercises, participants explored ways to develop inclusive political movements, address structural challenges and ensure women’s meaningful participation in decision-making processes.
In his opening remarks, CGS Executive Director Parvez Karim Abbasi stressed the importance of increasing women’s participation in electoral politics and ensuring their rightful role in democratic institutions. He said the initiative aims to strengthen the leadership capacity of young women political activists by providing them with both theoretical understanding and practical political skills.
Meaningful political inclusion, he said, requires not only increasing women’s representation but also ensuring their active participation in leadership and decision-making.
Shadhan Kumar Das, Programme Adviser of FES Bangladesh, briefed participants on the organisation’s democratic values and activities.
He said FES, a German political foundation, has been working in Bangladesh for more than a decade on democratisation, political participation and social inclusion, while also engaging globally on issues including geopolitics, climate change, labour rights and democratic governance. Dr Felix Gerdes, Resident Representative of FES Bangladesh, led interactive sessions on transformative political change and strategic thinking.
He said many sections of society often prefer maintaining the status quo, while a smaller group actively works towards social and political transformation.
Using Germany as an example, he highlighted how broad civic engagement can strengthen democratic participation and collective action.
Dr Gerdes also emphasised the importance of identifying common structural challenges that can bring together diverse social groups despite differences in their immediate interests.
During a participatory exercise, participants mapped political and social actors and discussed how different public demands – from economic issues to public services – can be connected through broader democratic goals. He stressed the need for changing political narratives and encouraged participants to assess whether such narratives genuinely reflect social values and promote inclusive political change.
Participants also discussed political communication, education, public budgeting and democratic participation.
Referring to the July Uprising of 2024, Dr Gerdes said shared structural grievances helped unite people from different backgrounds around a common demand for change.
He encouraged participants to think critically about coalition building, inclusive political engagement and long-term democratic transformation across different ideological platforms.
