Beyond Ideology: How Contemporary Social Movements are Reshaping Social Policy in Bangladesh

Abstract

This article explores the evolution of contemporary social movements in Bangladesh since the 2013 Shahbag movement, paying particular attention to their engagement with social policy. Although Shahbag mobilised unprecedented public support for justice in war crimes trials, it also exacerbated the ideological divide between secular and Islamist groups within civil society. This polarisation has constrained the capacity of subsequent movements to build broad-­based alliances and promote shared civic agendas. Drawing on documentary analysis and interviews, this study examines how recent movements, such as the 2018 quota reform protests, the road safety mobilisation, the anti-­Rampal environmental campaign, and the anti-rape movement, have shifted their focus from ideological confrontation to concrete, issue-­based demands. These demands focus on questions of public accountability, equitable access to resources, gender justice, environmental protection, and citizen safety. By doing so, these movements have brought the key themes of social policy such as redistribution, recognition, and state responsibility into the public sphere. In a context where formal mechanisms for participation remain limited, the paper argues that social movements increasingly operate as informal yet influential actors in shaping how the state defines and delivers welfare, protection, and inclusion. Rather than functioning solely as protest organisations, they are evolving into sites of policy engagement, civic negotiation, and democratic accountability. This shift signals the emergence of a more pragmatic and policy-­oriented civil society in Bangladesh — one that engages with the state through focused demands for justice and institutional reform, rather than grand ideological claims. By tracing the trajectory from Shahbag to more recent movements, the article contributes to broader debates on the role of civic mobilisation in transitional democracies, highlighting the significance of protest in shaping the everyday architecture of social policy
Keywords: social movement, social policy, civil society, citizen mobilization, Bangladesh politics