Young voters show strong preference for BNP: Survey

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is currently the most favored political party among young voters ahead of the next national election, according to the 'Youth Survey 2025' conducted by the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) and ActionAid Bangladesh. The survey findings, reported by UNB, show that the majority of young participants believe BNP will receive the highest number of votes in the upcoming election.

The survey was carried out among over 2,000 young people, aged between 15 and 35, from families across all eight divisions of the country. According to the results, around 38.76% of youth think BNP will secure the most votes. Jamaat-e-Islami came in second, with 21.45% of the anticipated vote.

The survey also found that other Islamist parties, the NCP, and the Jatiya Party rank lower in popularity. If the Awami League were to participate in the election, only about 15% of respondents said they would vote for it.

Support for BNP is higher among male voters compared to females. A similar trend was observed for Jamaat. On the other hand, more women support the NCP, and the party is relatively more popular in urban areas.

The survey also explored young people's attitudes toward elections. About 93.96% of respondents believe the upcoming election will be free and fair. However, 6.04% have already lost faith in the electoral system. Around 76.78% said they are interested in voting, while 4.14% said they are not.

In terms of political awareness, youth participation remains limited. Only 23.37% regularly follow political news, 39.09% follow it occasionally, and 37.54% are not interested at all. There is a noticeable gender gap—24.27% of women said they are not interested in national politics, compared to 16.48% of men.

The survey also highlighted a disconnect between political parties and the youth. Only 11.82% of respondents felt that political parties address the country’s real issues. In contrast, 50% believe that parties have failed to engage meaningfully with the youth.

Many young people are skeptical about positive political change without reforms. Only 3.3% believe the situation can improve without any changes, while 56.4% think reforms are necessary for progress. About 13.1% believe nothing will change, regardless of reforms.

Youth participation in politics is also low. Around 82.7% of respondents said they are not interested in getting involved in politics. Only 1.6% reported being actively engaged in political activities.

The survey also reflected the expectations of young people. About 60% hope political parties will eliminate favoritism, nepotism, and political violence. 54% want regular elections and the restoration of democratic processes. Additionally, 48.23% believe religion-based politics is not suitable for the country's future.

The organizations behind the survey stated that their main goal was to understand the political, social, and institutional reforms youth expect, especially in the aftermath of the recent July protests. They hope that the views and demands of the youth will draw the attention of policymakers.