Prime Minister Tarique Rahman Receives High Public Approval After Six Months
A new survey shows strong public support for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The Doppler Opinion Research survey found 66.30 percent of people believe he is doing his job well. This high approval rating came after his government completed its first six months in office.
The survey was released on Wednesday in Dhaka. It gathered opinions from 3,443 people across all 64 districts of Bangladesh. The results were similar for different age groups, genders, and income levels. Even supporters of major opposition parties like Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party gave the Prime Minister good ratings.
However, public opinion was more mixed for the government’s overall work. About 54.50 percent said the government was performing well. But 32.90 percent felt it was doing badly. When asked about the country’s direction, 48.60 percent thought Bangladesh was going the right way. Still, 35.60 percent believed it was going the wrong way.
The survey identified the biggest problems facing the nation. Many people, 59.5 percent, mentioned electricity and fuel supply. Close behind, 59.10 percent were concerned about the high prices of daily goods. People rated the government’s performance on these issues quite low. A large majority of 89.40 percent said the government was handling electricity badly. Similarly, 79.60 percent felt the government was doing poorly on fuel and gas issues.
The financial situation of households also showed challenges. About 46.50 percent of people said their household finances were worse than a year ago. Only 17.50 percent reported their situation had improved. Looking ahead, 38.10 percent expect their finances to get better in the next year.
Opposition leaders also received feedback in the survey. Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman had a 47.70 percent positive rating. National Citizen Party Convener Nahid Islam received 39.80 percent positive feedback. Many people also said they did not know enough about these leaders to give an opinion.
On a positive note, people feel safe in their daily lives. About 67.50 percent feel safe walking alone in their local area after dark. An even higher 95.20 percent feel safe practicing their religion openly.
The government’s Family Card and tax policies received strong public support. Around 78.60 percent of people support the Family Card program. Also, 70.70 percent support the government’s tax policy. The survey shows the public wants the government to act on a recent referendum result, with 70 percent supporting this.
