Last Updated on February 4, 2026 8:52 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Nearly half of voters who previously supported Bangladesh’s Awami League are now leaning towards the BNP ahead of the next national election, according to a new nationwide survey. The study found that 48 percent of former Awami League voters currently favour the BNP.
Among first-time voters since 2008, 37.4 percent said they prefer Jamaat-e-Islami. More than 90 percent of respondents said they intend to vote in the upcoming election, while around eight percent said they are undecided or may abstain.
Titled “Uncovering the Public Pulse: A Nationwide Survey,” the findings were presented by Zakaria Palash, strategic coordinator of the Communication and Research Foundation, at the Jatiya Press Club on Monday. The survey was jointly conducted by the Communication and Research Foundation and Bangladesh Election and Public Opinion Studies. The study covered 11,038 voters across the country using stratified random sampling, with data collected in two phases between November 20 and December 31, 2025.
Corruption emerged as the most pressing issue for voters, with 67.3 percent identifying it as their top concern. By contrast, only 35.9 percent cited religion as a key issue, indicating that governance, transparency and economic challenges outweigh identity and religious considerations for most voters, despite Bangladesh being a Muslim-majority country.
Across age groups and genders, voters said they prefer leaders who care about ordinary people and can demonstrate effective leadership. Personal charisma ranked lower than empathy, accountability and the ability to govern. Television and social media were identified as the most influential sources of political information, with most respondents relying on multiple platforms rather than a single medium.
The survey also highlighted concerns over election-day security. Voters expressed greater anxiety about safety at polling centres than about institutional arrangements, citing fears of intimidation, vote rigging and ballot stuffing across party lines.
Candidates were found to matter more than parties for many voters. Nearly two-thirds said they consider candidates when voting, with 30.2 percent choosing based solely on the candidate and 33.2 percent weighing both the candidate and the party.