Almost half of Bangladesh’s voters remain undecided about who to vote for in the upcoming national election, according to the latest “Pulse Survey 3” conducted by the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD).
The survey results were presented on Monday at the National Archives Auditorium in Dhaka, in an event jointly organised by the BIGD and the citizens’ platform Voice for Reform.
According to the study, 48.5 per cent of respondents have not yet decided who they will vote for – up from 38 per cent in October last year. Another 14.4 per cent refused to answer, and 1.7 per cent said they would not vote.
When asked about party preference, 12 per cent said they would vote for the BNP, 10.4 per cent for Jamaat-e-Islami, and 2.8 per cent for the National Citizen Party (NCP).
Support for BNP and Jamaat have dropped slightly since October, while NCP has become a bit more favourable. Support for the Awami League, currently suspended from conducting political activities, fell from 8.9 per cent to 7.3 per cent.
However, when asked which party they think will win in their constituency, 38 per cent named BNP, 13 per cent Jamaat, 1 per cent NCP, and 7 per cent Awami League.
The survey, conducted from July 1 to July 20, gathered opinions from 5,489 people across urban and rural areas.
Confidence in the country’s political direction has fallen – only 42 per cent now believe Bangladesh is on the right political track, down from 56 per cent last October. Approval for the interim government’s performance dropped from 68 per cent to 63 per cent.
Most respondents (51 per cent) want major reforms before the election, citing priorities such as improving law and order, curbing corruption, boosting the economy, and reducing political unrest.
Interestingly, 70 per cent believe the next election will be free and fair, while 15 per cent think it will not. This was followed by a panel discussion featuring political researchers and academics.