IRI Survey Shows Bangladeshis Overwhelmingly Approve of Yunus and Interim Government’s Job Performance

Dhaka, Bangladesh – A nationwide poll conducted by the International Republican Institute’s (IRI) Center for Insights in Survey Research shows that Bangladeshis overwhelmingly approve of Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus and the Interim Government’s job performance, with over two-thirds (69 percent) of respondents reporting that Yunus is doing a good job and seventy percent reporting the same for the Interim Government.

“It is clear Bangladeshis see progress under Dr. Yunus’s leadership,” said Johanna Kao, IRI’s Senior Director for Asia-Pacific. “Their vote of confidence in him and the Interim Government reflects a widespread desire for stability, accountability, and reform.”

Enthusiasm for the upcoming elections is high, with 66 percent of respondents reporting that they are very likely to vote and 23 percent somewhat likely to vote. Furthermore, 80 percent are optimistic that the elections will be free and fair.

“The excitement of Bangladeshis highlights the importance of sustaining reform efforts and ensuring the elections are credible and peaceful,” stated Kao.

IRI regularly conducts nationwide public opinion research in Bangladesh to ascertain insights into how citizens view policy, political, and governance issues. As elections approach, IRI is working to support responsive, issue-based political engagement. In October, IRI deployed a pre-election assessment mission, the findings of which can be found here, and will field a limited observation mission for the February elections.

Methodology 

The survey was conducted on behalf of IRI’s Center for Insights in Survey Research by a local research firm between September 1 and October 12, 2025. Data was collected using a multi-stage stratified probability sample through in-person, in-home interviews. The sample consists of 4,985 respondents aged 18 and older and is representative of voting-age adults nationally. The sample was distributed into 500 primary sampling units (PSU) from 63 out of 64 districts across all eight divisions. The data was weighted by gender and age group according to the 2022 census. The margin of error does not exceed plus or minus 1.4 percent for the full sample, and the response rate was 46 percent.