Around 30 per cent of interviewed youths are undecided about who they would vote for in the upcoming 13th national election while 20 per cent others say they would cast their votes for Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a survey has revealed.
According to it, nearly 17 per cent of the young people said they would vote for Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and 9.5 per cent would deposit their ballots for Bangladesh Awami League.
However, around 18 per cent of the respondents in the survey didn't disclose their thoughts while 3.6 per cent others expressed their willingness to vote for National Citizens Party (NCP).
A youth skill development platform --Bangladesh Youth Leadership Centre (BYLC) -- revealed the findings of the survey titled 'Youth Matters Survey 2025' at a press conference held at its office in the city on Wednesday.
BYLC Executive Director Tahsinah Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of Bdjobs A K M Fahim Mashroor and media personality Abdun Noor Tushar spoke on the occasion among others.
BYLC conducted the survey through in-person interviews with 2545 Individuals, including 2203 voters, aged between 18 and 35, from October 10 to 21 to understand the perspectives, political views, and aspirations of youth in contemporary Bangladesh.
About 97 per cent of the youth voters said they would execute their voting rights in the upcoming election.
Around 50 per cent of the young respondents disclosed that they had trust on the transparency and accountability of the upcoming election process under the interim government.
When asked about the nation's priorities for the next five years, nearly 67 per cent of the respondents identified checking corruption as the top priority for Bangladesh, followed by addressing the unemployment problem, improving law and order situation, preventing drug use and ensuring women empowerment.
Some 76 per cent of the respondents believe that girls and women do not feel safe in today's Bangladesh, which is an alarming indication of persistent gender-based insecurity that calls for immediate policy attention.
Around 18.3 per cent of the surveyed young people said they intend to permanently settle in other countries leaving Bangladesh, majority of them identified 'unfavourable economic situation' in the country followed by political uncertainty, limited job opportunity, personal security and social conditions as key reasons for that.
Speaking on the occasion, Fahim Mashroor said entrepreneurial interest among Bangladeshi youth was rising, with nearly 40 per cent, as revealed in the survey, aspiring to start their own businesses due to limited job opportunities in the country.
"Many turn to entrepreneurship out of necessity, as most educational institutions fail to provide the required training or preparation," he said.
About the role of youths in shaping Bangladesh's future, Abdun Noor Tushar said the country's young people hold diverse thoughts and aspirations.
They think about education, employment, and politics, and often feel frustrated over various issues, he said.
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