AL popularity rising: IRI survey

A survey conducted recently by the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI), found that the ruling Awami League (AL) has gained popularity. A news agency reported on Friday that the opinion poll found the AL, one of the oldest parties of Bangladesh which is running the South Asian country for the second consecutive term after winning the national elections 20 months ago, is gaining the trust of the country’s people with most participants saying the country is heading in the right direction. However, they also marked corruption as the biggest obstacle to development and most disapproved of the actions of police, parliament, and the opposition. The findings of the survey with a sample size of 2,500 was published on Wednesday.
Nielsen-Bangladesh conducted the survey between May 23 and June 10 this year for the US-based research organisation IRI on Bangladesh's politics and democracy. The results of the survey were published on Thursday. Nielsen-Bangladesh conducted a survey between May 23 and June 10 this year for the US-based research organisation IRI on Bangladesh's politics and democracy. As per the findings of the survey, AL, which led the country’s independence war in 1971, enjoys more popularity than the other parties with 60 per cent respondents liking and 29 per cent disliking it. "In the 18 months following January 5, 2014, elections boycotted by the main opposition BNP, support for the ruling government and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reached 66 and 67 per cent respectively," according to the IRI release.
As many as 64 per cent felt the political situation was stable. However, the public support for a caretaker government to hold elections appeared to have weakened. Along with the fall in support for holding polls under a non-elected government, the survey also found that the respondents were keen to see the present government complete its term.
- biplab