Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) would secure highest number of votes — 38.76% — if the next national election is held, according to a youth survey conducted by the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) in collaboration with ActionAid Bangladesh.

According to “Youth Survey 2025”, which on Monday (July 7), showed that Jamaat-e-Islami would secure the second-highest support with 21.45% of the votes among young respondents aged 15 to 35.

National Citizens' Party (NCP) is projected to receive 15.84% of the votes, while the ruling Awami League would get 15.02% if allowed to participate. Other religious parties are expected to garner 4.59%, Jatiya Party 3.77%, and other minor parties just 0.57%.

The survey was conducted in all eight divisions of the country, selecting two districts from each, and two upazilas from each selected district. A total of 2,000 respondents participated, with an even split between urban and rural areas. Educationally, 40% had below SSC-level education, while 60% had SSC or higher qualifications.

Confidence in Elections

Despite political uncertainties, 93.96% of young people believe the upcoming national election will be free and fair. About 76.78% said they intend to vote, though 6.04% have lost trust in the electoral process, and 4.14% are uninterested in voting.

Data shows that male voters tend to support BNP (40.03%) more than females. Similarly, Jamaat's male support (22.51%) is slightly higher than among females (20.57%). In contrast, support for NCP is higher among women, particularly in urban areas.

Political Awareness and Reform

Only 23.37% of young respondents said they actively follow politics. A significant 37.54% showed no interest at all. Among women, 24.27% said they are not interested in national politics, compared to 16.48% of men.

Just 11.82% believe political parties reflect real national issues in their agendas. Half of the respondents (50.1%) feel political parties have failed to connect with the youth, while only 16.1% believe otherwise.

A large number — 56.4% — believe political reform is necessary for positive change, while 13.1% think nothing will change, and 11.3% fear the situation may worsen.

Only 1.6% of youth are currently involved in politics, while 82.7% expressed no interest in engaging in any political activities in the future.

Youth Expectations

Young people have strong expectations from political parties. Around 60% want an end to nepotism, political violence, and favoritism. Over half (54%) demand regular elections and restoration of democratic practices. Notably, 48.23% believe religion-based politics is not ideal for the country’s future. Among those opposing it, 87.77% are non-Muslims.

Jobs and Aspirations

The survey also sheds light on job market concerns. Only 14.54% of youth believe their education prepared them well for employment, while 30.78% think their education had no relevance at all. About 36.99% prefer government jobs, and 26.41% aspire to be entrepreneurs. Among women, 41.75% favor government jobs, compared to 32.87% of men.

Job-seeking periods remain long — 28.66% have been searching for over two years, and 45.12% never received an interview call despite applying. Only 11.68% received any training in the last year, mainly in basic computer skills.

Key Job Market Barriers

The biggest challenges in the job market, according to youth, include corruption and nepotism (54.72%), lack of proper education (52.67%), limited opportunities (50.02%), and mismatch between education and job requirements (49.38%).

Case studies reveal harsh realities. One schoolteacher and single mother with a master’s degree earns less than BDT 5,000 a month. A 30-year-old freelancer from Jhalakathi said he stopped applying for jobs, convinced that one cannot get employed without bribes.

Overseas Migration

Regarding migration, 1.7% of respondents had previously worked abroad, and over 72% of them are interested in going again. Among those who never went abroad, 40% wish to migrate for work, while 57.3% prefer to stay in the country. Women showed a stronger preference to remain in Bangladesh (70.57%) than men (45.57%).

High wages, better facilities, and improved lifestyles were cited as the main motivations for seeking jobs abroad.

The SANEM-ActionAid survey paints a broad picture of youth perspectives in a changing Bangladesh—highlighting political dissatisfaction, a desire for reform, and critical concerns about jobs and governance.

MSK/