A recent survey has found that 58% of respondents favour holding a national election within the current year, with 31.6% supporting a June poll and 26.5% preferring December.
An additional 10.9% believe the election should be held after December.
The study, conducted by research firm Innovision Bangladesh, surveyed 10,690 participants across all 64 districts.
The survey results were presented at a press conference on Saturday (8 March) at The Daily Star Centre in the capital.
Innovision’s Managing Director Rubaiyat Sarwar, who led the presentation, stated that the study sought to gauge public sentiment on the timing of elections, voter expectations from both the current and future governments, electoral preferences, and key issues influencing voting decisions.
The survey was conducted between 19 February and 3 March.
Economic hardship emerged as the foremost concern among respondents. When asked about their expectations from the interim government, 69.6% prioritised controlling inflation, while 45.2% sought improvements in law and order, and 29.1% emphasised the need for increased employment opportunities.
Additionally, 21.8% expressed a desire for reduced corruption in public services.
However, only 2.62% believed inflation had been fully contained, while 42.33% felt it was partially under control, and 55.05% viewed it as still beyond regulation.
The survey also revealed that nearly 62% of voters have already decided on their preferred candidate.
Among them, 65.7% disclosed their party allegiance, with BNP emerging as the frontrunner at 41.7%. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami followed at 31.6%, while the ruling Awami League secured 14%.
The newly formed Nationalist Conservative Party (NCP) garnered 5.1%, and other parties collectively accounted for 7.6%.
A generational divide in political support was evident.
BNP enjoyed stronger backing among Generation X and Boomers, whereas support among Generation Z was nearly evenly split between BNP and Jamaat.
However, 29.4% of voters remain undecided, with 49.3% stating they will decide based on candidates' profiles, while 33.9% plan to assess the political climate before making a choice.
Notably, uncertainty is higher among women voters (33.77%) compared to men (25.81%).
