A recent survey by BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) reveals that the percentage of voters undecided about whom to vote for in the upcoming national election has risen sharply to 48.5%, up from 38% recorded last October.
According to the survey results released on Monday at the National Archives Auditorium in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, 14.4% of respondents said they prefer not to disclose their choice, while 1.7% stated they would abstain from voting altogether.
Among declared preferences, support for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has slightly declined to 12% from 16.3%, and Jamaat-e-Islami’s support dropped marginally to 10.4% from 11.3%.
The Nationalist Citizens’ Party (NCP) saw a small increase to 2.8% from 2%. The ruling Awami League’s support has decreased from 8.9% to 7.3%. Other parties, including the National Party and various Islamic parties, also witnessed declines.
When asked which party they expect to win in their constituencies, 38% favored BNP, followed by 13% for Jamaat, 1% for NCP, and 7% for Awami League.
The survey, conducted from July 1 to 20 through telephone interviews with 5,489 individuals across rural and urban areas, included diverse demographics—53% male and 47% female, with 73% rural and 27% urban respondents.
Regarding Bangladesh’s current trajectory, 42% believed the country is politically on the right path, down from 56% last year, while 45% felt the economy is progressing well, a slight increase from 43%.
On the performance of the interim government, 63% rated it positively, a decrease from 68% in the previous survey.
When asked about election reforms, 51% supported thorough reforms before holding elections, 17% preferred some urgent reforms, 14% wanted elections without reforms, and 13% were unsure. Key reform priorities included law and order (30%), judiciary improvements (16%), anti-corruption measures (17%), economic revival (16%), price control (13%), and reducing unemployment (10%).
Regarding election timing, 32% favored elections before December 2025, 12% by February 2026, 11% by June 2026, and 25% preferred December 2026 or later.
Finally, 70% of respondents expressed confidence that the upcoming election will be free, fair, and impartial, while 15% doubted this and 14% were unsure.
The survey results were presented by BIGD Fellow Syeda Selina Aziz and discussed in a panel including BIGD Senior Research Fellow Mirza M Hasan and Dhaka University Associate Professor Asif Mohammad Shahan, moderated by Voice for Reform co-convener AKM Fahim Mashrur.
