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A large segment of Bangladesh's voters remains unaware of the widely-discussed proportional representation (PR) electoral system for the upper house, according to a latest survey.
The survey revealed that 68.2 per cent of females and 45.9 per cent of males had never heard of PR or did not know enough about it to form an opinion.
On Monday, the findings of the survey titled "Election Pulse Survey (PEPS), Round 2-Part 3" were unveiled at a conference room in the capital's Karwan Bazar.
The survey, conducted between September 2 and 15 of this year, covered 10,413 respondents across all eight divisions and 64 districts, aiming to gauge public perception on politics, governance, and future aspirations.
Funded and administered by Innovision, with technical support from Bangladesh Research Analysis & Information Network (BRAIN) and Voice for Reform, the survey findings emphasised that parties seeking to build credibility must address the growing disconnect between informed urban voters and disengaged rural electorates.
According to the survey, the lack of awareness was particularly striking in rural areas, where 59 per cent of respondents admitted unfamiliarity with the PR concept, compared with 49 per cent in urban ones. Beyond the awareness of PR, the survey delved into broader electoral sentiments.
It found that 32.6 per cent of voters remained undecided about which party to support, up from 29.4 per cent in March.
Younger voters, especially Gen Z, were the most uncertain, with more than one-third saying they had yet to decide.
The survey also revealed the voters with lower educational qualifications were more likely to opt for party symbols in elections.
According to the findings, the BNP enjoyed almost equal support across both areas - 34.5 per cent among urban respondents and 34.3 per cent among rural ones.
However, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami drew a significantly larger share of support from rural voters with 26.7 per cent, compared to 21.6 per cent in cities.
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