A clear majority of Bangladeshis view the country’s democracy positively following the February parliamentary election, but corruption has emerged as the biggest national concern, with voters putting anti-corruption measures at the top of the new government’s agenda, according to a nationwide survey by the International Republican Institute (IRI).
The findings present a picture of cautious democratic optimism combined with strong public demand for better governance: 62% of respondents described the current state of democracy as either very or somewhat good, while 33% said strengthening anti-corruption measures should be the government’s foremost priority.
At the same time, the survey exposes a significant weakness beneath that optimism.
Eighty-three percent said there remains a large gap between political elites and ordinary people, suggesting that electoral change has not yet translated into a stronger sense of political representation.
IRI said Bangladesh was on a “positive trajectory” following the February 2026 parliamentary election, while cautioning that rebuilding trust in democratic institutions would require continued reforms and sustained political commitment.
Public confidence in democracy nevertheless appears to have softened since last year.
In June, 24% rated democracy “very good” and 38% “somewhat good”, for a combined 62%.
In October 2025, the corresponding figure was 72%. Meanwhile, negative assessments rose from 26% to 32%.
The overall national mood is even more finely balanced.
Some 46% said Bangladesh was heading in the right direction, compared with 44% who believed it was going in the wrong direction.
In October 2025, 53% had said the country was moving in the right direction against 42% who disagreed.
Among those optimistic about the country’s direction, improved economic conditions were the most frequently cited reason, at 23%, followed by improvement in law and order at 17%.
The Family Card, employment opportunities and better food security each received 7%.
For those who believed Bangladesh was moving in the wrong direction, rising commodity prices topped the reasons at 18%, closely followed by deterioration in law and order and the judicial situation at 17%.
Increasing corruption was cited by 10%, followed by the gas crisis at 8% and lack of employment opportunities at 7%.
Corruption tops national worries
When respondents were asked spontaneously to identify the single most important problem facing Bangladesh, corruption ranked first at 22%.
Drug abuse and trafficking followed at 15%, while crime, terrorism, security and law and order stood at 12%.
Price inflation was identified by 10%, unemployment by 9% and political instability by 7%.
IRI highlighted the particularly sharp rise in concern about drugs, which almost tripled from 6% in 2025 to 15% in the latest poll.
The survey also provides a revealing picture of what Bangladeshis mean when they talk about corruption.
Among the 1,123 respondents who named corruption as the country’s top problem, 29% pointed to corruption in obtaining jobs, making recruitment-related corruption the biggest concern.
Another 19% cited misuse of government funding at the local level, 16% corruption in obtaining national government contracts and 10% bribe solicitation by local political leaders or parties.
Those concerns translate directly into expectations of the new government.
One-third of respondents said strengthening anti-corruption measures should be the government’s top priority.
Another 22% called for strengthening the rule of law and judicial independence, while 21% prioritized governance and political reform.
“Citizens have made their priorities clear,” IRI Senior Director for Asia-Pacific Johanna Kao said, calling on political parties to work together on reforms responsive to public demands.
Majority backs new government
Despite those concerns, the government retains majority public approval.
The survey found 55% believe the new government is doing a good job, comprising 26% who rated its performance “very good” and 29% “somewhat good.”
By comparison, 26% described its performance as somewhat bad and 15% as very bad, producing a combined negative rating of 41%.
Economic circumstances appear to influence attitudes towards the government.
Among respondents who described themselves as living comfortably, 68% rated the government’s performance positively.
That dropped to 49% among those finding their financial situation difficult, indicating that household economic pressure is weighing on political perceptions.
Election receives strong endorsement
Public assessments of the election that brought the new government to power were significantly more positive.
The survey found 72% considered the February parliamentary election mostly or somewhat free and fair, compared with around 22% who regarded it as somewhat or mostly rigged.
The findings help explain why Bangladeshis can simultaneously express confidence in democracy while demanding substantial reforms: the electoral process itself receives broad approval, but citizens continue to identify problems in the institutions and political culture surrounding it.
The divide between politicians and citizens is particularly striking.
Forty-eight percent strongly agreed that there was a large gap between political elites and the people, while another 35% somewhat agreed -- putting total agreement at 83%.
Army most trusted, police struggles
Institutional approval also varied sharply.
The Army emerged as the most positively viewed institution in the survey, with 78% approval, including 48% who strongly approved of its performance.
The High Court and local government institutions each received 61% approval.
The media received 59%, religious leaders 58%, the student movement 56%, the Election Commission 53% and political parties 51%.
The police stood apart.
Only 45% approved of the police’s performance, while 52% disapproved, making it the only institution surveyed with a negative net approval rating.
BNP leads party favourability
Among political parties, the BNP recorded the highest favourability, with 57% saying they strongly or somewhat liked the party.
Jamaat-e-Islami followed at 48%, NCP at 37% and Islami Andolan Bangladesh at 33%.
The Awami League remained the most negatively viewed major political party.
Only 22% expressed favourable views, while 72% said they somewhat or strongly disliked it, including 40% who expressed strong dislike.
Compared with October 2025, BNP’s favourability increased from 51% to 57%, while Jamaat’s declined from 53% to 48%. NCP remained broadly stable.
Democracy backed, delivery now the test
Taken together, the findings suggest that Bangladeshis are broadly supportive of the democratic transition and the electoral process, but their expectations have shifted from holding an election to making democratic institutions work.
Corruption, law and order, judicial independence and governance reform now sit near the centre of public expectations.
IRI’s Kao said Bangladesh had made progress in rebuilding trust following the election but stressed that democratic consolidation remained an ongoing process requiring reform and political commitment.
The survey was conducted between May 16 and June 24 among 5,000 adults aged 18 and above across all 64 districts and eight divisions. It has a margin of error of ±1.7 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
IRI noted that the latest survey introduced education into its weighting methodology for the first time, alongside age, gender and division.
It cautioned that the change has implications for comparisons with earlier surveys, which contained a higher proportion of educated respondents.
For the front page, I would keep the headline exactly as you selected: Bangladeshis back democracy, demand action on corruption: IRI.
A suitable standfirst would be: 62% rate democracy positively, 72% call February polls free and fair; corruption tops national problems as 83% see gulf between political elites and people.
