Illustration by Subinoy Eron Mustofi/Netra NewsAs many as 58.1 percent of respondents favour holding the election by December 2025, while nearly one-third (31.6 percent) would prefer it by June 2025, the findings show. Only about 11 percent wants the election to be postponed beyond the end of next year.
By when the voters want the next general election
Debate over the election timeline began after an interim government took office in August 2024. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) claims a vote could be held by August 2025, whereas the interim government’s advisers argue that necessary reforms must be implemented first.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has suggested a possible election window between December 2025 and June 2026. Still, Nahid Islam, leader of the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP)—popularly known as the “student-led party” — expressed doubts, telling Reuters that deteriorating law and order may render a 2025 election unworkable.
Conducted by Innovision Consulting, the poll surveyed 10,696 voters across all 64 districts from February 19th to March 3rd. Bangladesh Research Analysis & Information Network (BRAIN) and Voice for Reform, an activism collective, were partners in policy engagement and dissemination.
BNP and Jamaat lead the field
The poll reveals that 29% of voters have yet to decide who they will support. Among those who have made their minds up, 65% were willing to disclose their party preference.
The BNP holds a commanding lead, securing 41.7% of voters prepared to reveal their choice. The party enjoys strong backing from older generations, the majority of whom support it, as well as from younger millennials, 40% of whom favour it. Additionally, the BNP is the top choice across most geographic divisions in the country.
Jamaat, backed by 31.56% of decided voters, lags behind the BNP among older generations but stands nearly equal with it among Generation Z (born 1997–2012), who made up 36% of all respondents. Despite Generation Z often being linked to the movement that evolved into a political party under Nahid Islam’s leadership, both the BNP and Jamaat command support from nearly 35% of this demographic.
Jamaat also holds a strong lead in parts of Rangpur and Khulna, where more than half of respondents favour the party.
Support by political parties
After Sheikh Hasina’s government was toppled in 2024, the Awami League’s popularity dipped nationwide. It is currently backed by just under 14 percent of voters willing to reveal their preferences, though it remains comparatively strong in Barishal. Only 11.3 percent of Generation Z respondents support the Awami League.
The student-led National Citizens Party, formed in the wake of the 2024 uprising, entered the survey when it was still hypothetical and garnered 5.14 percent of stated voter preferences. It appears especially popular in Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, and Mymensingh.
Meanwhile, the Jatiya Party, once regarded as a kingmaker in Bangladeshi politics, faces a near-political collapse, earning just over 1 percent of revealed support and only 2.3 percent in its stronghold of Rangpur.
Across the board, both BNP and Jamaat receive slightly less support from women voters compared to men, while the Awami League and student-led party enjoy a larger share of female backing.
Inflation and security top list of concerns
When asked about priorities for the interim government, most respondents highlighted their anxiety about soaring inflation, rising crime, and sluggish job growth. Inflation has hovered around 10 percent since 2023, straining household budgets, while an uptick in crime has sparked fears about public safety.
Nearly seven out of ten respondents expect the government to tackle price increases immediately, yet fewer than half feel their concerns have been adequately addressed.
At the same time, support for reforming law enforcement agencies, shaking up the political sphere, and enacting constitutional amendments — issues highlighted by the interim government as its raison d’être — ranked relatively low.
Less than 10 percent of respondents said these issues should be the current government’s main focus.
Led by Muhammad Yunus, the interim administration has established more than a dozen commissions tasked with reforming various sectors.
Despite these efforts, the poll indicates that progress on core economic and public-safety challenges has fallen short of voter expectations.
Over 42 percent of respondents say their concerns about price hikes have been “partially” met, while half report no relief at all.
A similar proportion feels their worries about the law and order situation remain unresolved. More than 70 percent say their expectations for employment growth — a key economic indicator — have not been met.
Assessment of Government Performance
| Expectation | Fully Met | Partially Met | Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managing Price Hikes | 2.62% | 42.33% | 55.05% |
| Improved Law and Order | 1.39% | 40.33% | 58.28% |
| Employment Growth | 1.15% | 24.64% | 74.21% |
| Reduced Corruption | 3.09% | 42.56% | 54.35% |
| Election Friendly Environment | 2.69% | 29.05% | 68.26% |
| Better Conditions for Business | 2.15% | 35.57% | 62.28% |
Forty-one percent of respondents also believe that extortion has increased since the interim government’s appointment. About half say the situation is either unchanged or somewhat improved.
Looking ahead, the survey shows that high inflation, rampant crime, weak job growth, corruption in public services, and improving the climate for business top the list of challenges the next government will face.
A full 71.2 percent say curbing price hikes should be a priority, while more than half want a crackdown on crime. Four in ten call for measures to spur job creation, which has stagnated in recent years, and about a third want a sharper focus on reducing corruption in public services.
Meanwhile, issues such as investigating corruption suspects, expanding access to public services, and improving business conditions rank as moderate priorities. Fewer than 10 percent of respondents call for rapid constitutional reforms or express a desire to revisit the July Revolution’s most contentious chapters, including securing justice for any violence that took place.
As Bangladesh navigates its path toward a national election — now widely expected between December 2025 and June 2026 — the findings paint a portrait of a populace focused on immediate bread-and-butter issues rather than far-reaching political transformations.
In a climate of economic pressure and public unease, the question remains whether the interim government can address these mounting concerns or whether a new administration will be elected to tackle them first.●
The article appeared in the netra.news