BNP leads among potential young voters, followed by Jamaat and NCP: survey

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) holds a substantial lead in support among young voters ahead of an anticipated national election, according to a new survey published today.

The survey, titled "Youth in Transition", was conducted jointly by the South Asian Network on Economic Modelling (SANEM) and ActionAid Bangladesh.

The survey interviewed 2,000 respondents aged between 15 and 35 across all eight divisions, covering both rural and urban areas. It included two districts from each division and two upazilas from each selected district.

According to the findings, 38.76 percent of the youth surveyed said they would vote for the BNP, followed by Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh with 21.45 percent and the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP) with 15.84 percent.

The report comes at a time of political flux in the country, particularly following the student-led July Uprising which has intensified demands for systemic reform.

The youth demographic could play a decisive role, with 76.78 percent of eligible young voters expressing an intention to cast their ballot in the upcoming polls.

However, the report also points to widespread political disillusionment. Despite high voter intent, 82.7 percent of respondents said they had no interest in engaging in politics, citing fears of political violence and a perceived lack of ethics among political actors.

The call for change is driven by frustration with the status quo. The survey found that young people are most concerned about ending corruption and nepotism, improving the education system, and expanding job opportunities, areas they believe the political establishment has neglected.

Selim Raihan, executive director of SANEM, said the study was conducted solely to understand the perspectives of young people aged between 15 and 35.

He said the findings reflect only the opinions of the selected youth participants and should not be considered representative of the entire population or other age groups, particularly on sensitive issues such as politics.

"Care must be taken to avoid any misinterpretation or misunderstanding of the findings," he added.