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34pc indecisive on whom to vote in polls: Study

FE REPORT | September 11, 2024 00:00:00


In-person data of a recent study reveals that around 34 per cent of 5,115 individuals from 50 districts are undecided about whom they would vote for if elections were held soon.

Moreover, 11 per cent participants of the same data collection process said they would cast their ballots for a newly emerging, student-supported political party.

The results of the study regarding the voting intentions of the people in Bangladesh were revealed at a press conference at a city hotel on Tuesday organised by Innovision Consulting, an international development research and project management organisation.

The conference was titled: "Bangladesh speaks: public opinion poll on voting intentions - contrasting online vs. field survey insights".

In contrast, the data collected online shows that 35 per cent of participants favoured emerging political leaders, with only 11 per cent undecided.

Both surveys indicate a noteworthy decline in support for mainstream political parties, particularly in the online data, where a distinct trend of rejecting traditional political establishments has emerged.

Managing Director of Innovision Consulting Rubaiyat Sarwar presented the key findings, while Fahim Mashroor, the consultant of the initiative and an IT entrepreneur, and Galib Mohiuddin, an independent survey analyst, were also present on the occasion among others.

Innovision Consulting has launched a website called 'Bangladesh Speaks' to conduct online survey in this regard.

Presenting the findings, Mr Sarwar said most of the Generation Z, the individuals born between 1997 and 2012, have never engaged in the political process, yet they were the driving force behind the July Revolution.

Mr Sarwar said that he believes that understanding the public sentiment of an election if held at the moment could provide a roadmap for sustainable political reform.

He elaborated on the survey methodology, noting that the field survey collected data from 5,115 respondents across 50 districts between August 29 and September 8, while the online survey included responses from 3,581 participants across 64 districts.

There are significant differences between the two survey cohorts, Sarwar said adding that the offline survey captures the voices of low-income and marginalised communities, with women's participation ensured in proportion to the population.

Of the people surveyed in-person, 21 per cent said they would vote for Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), 14 per cent opted for Jamaat-e-Islami, 10 per cent for student-backed party and five per cent for Awami League.

However, of the 3581 participants surveyed online, 35 per cent said they would vote for student-backed party, 25 per cent for Jamaat-e-Islami, 11 per cent were indecisive, and 10 per cent for each for Awami League and BNP.

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