First-Time Voters, Lasting Democracy: Social Media and Political Participation in Bangladesh’s Landmark 2026 Elections

This pilot examines whether video narratives of contemporary and historic political events can shift political attitudes among underrepresented groups—particularly women and youth— in Bangladesh ahead of the country’s 2026 national election. It builds on the August 2024 overthrow of an autocratic regime by a student-led uprising, in which women played prominent roles but have since been sidelined from formal leadership. The pilot tests whether,
in a transitional and low-information setting, there are different impacts on civic engagement of highlighting men’s versus women’s contributions to protest, and of sharing youth-focused versus secular historical narratives. We will produce and test three video treatments (~5 minutes each): (1) a male-centered July 2024 protest narrative; (2) a female-centered July 2024 protest narrative; (3) a narrative highlighting historical independence-era history. Videos will be delivered via door-to-door outreach and WhatsApp links, with exposure being randomized at the polling station level. We eventually aim to examine behavioral outcomes such as turnout and vote choice once the elections occur; the pilot will assess the feasibility and acceptability of narrative-based mobilization strategies, explore how messages are received and interpreted across different audiences, and generate insight into which framings resonate most with key subgroups. It will also inform logistics and implementation strategies for a full scale randomized evaluation, including design of survey instruments, sampling, and delivery approaches. The study aims to identify promising narrative tools for enhancing participation among historically marginalized populations, and lay the groundwork for future research on the mechanisms linking civic identity, narrative framing, and democratic inclusion.