70% Bangladeshis approve of PM Hasina's performance: IRI survey
However, the opposition is gaining strength as the public approval rate has risen to 63%, from 36% in September 2019.
Highlights
- Survey conducted on 5,000 adults
- 70% of Bangladeshis approve of PM Hasina's performance
- 63% of the public approve of the opposition
- 92% of respondents said they are likely to vote in the next national election
- Only 44% of respondents believe Bangladesh is headed in the right direction
About 70% of Bangladeshis approve of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's performance, says a new nationwide poll and focus group study in Bangladesh by the International Republican Institute's (IRI) Center for Insights in Survey Research (CISR).
The research shows that most Bangladeshis approve of the premier and the government's performance on a range of issues.
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However, the opposition is gaining strength as the public approval rate has risen to 63%, from 36% in September 2019.
The survey was conducted on 5,000 adults, 18 years of age and older, from all 64 districts and all eight divisions of Bangladesh.
Also, Bangladeshis are interested in voting in the next national election if electoral transparency and fairness are improved, reads the report.
Ninety-two percent of respondents said they are likely to vote in the next national election (57% answered "very likely"). Those who do not intend to vote cite election fraud and voter registration issues as key barriers to voting.
A plurality of 44% support the return of Bangladesh's caretaker government election system, but a majority also believe the opposition should join the election regardless of election administration.
"It is encouraging to see public support for free, fair, and competitive elections," said IRI's South Asia Director Steve Cima. "These findings underscore the fundamental desire of Bangladeshis to have a real choice at the ballot box this winter."
The direction in which Bangladesh is going
The research shows growing concern about the country's direction. Ahead of this winter's election, the government has retained public support, but the opposition's popularity is growing and its calls for a caretaker government are breaking through.
For the first time since 2014, IRI's survey shows that a majority of Bangladeshis believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. Only 44% say Bangladesh is headed in the right direction, down from 76% in September 2019. Rising prices are the primary reason for this rise in pessimism. A focus group participant said, "My husband's salary did not increase, but the price of daily commodities is increasing daily."
