77pc of voters equate dev with roads, bridges and jobs
Staff Reporter:
Nearly three-quarters of voters believe that development is ensured primarily through the construction of roads, culverts and the creation of employment, indicating that public perception of development remains largely infrastructure-centric.
The findings were presented on Saturday at a media briefing at the BRAC Centre Inn in the capital, based on a recent survey titled “Electoral Constituencies’ Green Sustainable Economy Landscape and Expectations: Findings from Candidate and Voter Surveys”, conducted by the private research organisation Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
According to the survey, 77 per cent of voters associate development mainly with visible infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges and culverts.
As these projects are directly or indirectly linked to employment generation, voters consider them strong evidence of development. This perception is also influencing voting behaviour in national elections.
The research shows that nearly 86 per cent of urban voters closely link development with road and bridge construction. This mindset is particularly strong in the Chattogram Hill Tracts, coastal areas, climate-vulnerable regions and other marginalised zones.
Similar views were found among representatives of political parties. While party representatives in some cases demonstrated a relatively broader understanding of development, voters’ perceptions remain predominantly focused on physical infrastructure.
CPD Senior Research Associate Helen Mashiat said that 95 per cent of voters believe it is possible to build a green society in Bangladesh, reflecting strong public optimism.
However, she warned that a one-dimensional understanding of development could, in the long run, overshadow critical issues such as sustainable development, environmental protection and climate adaptation.
She emphasised that development discourse needs to give greater importance to education, health, the environment and overall quality of life, alongside employment and infrastructure.
The survey covered opinions from 450 election candidates and their nominated representatives across 150 constituencies, as well as 1,200 voters from climate-vulnerable areas. It analysed perceptions, expectations and practical plans across three pillars: environment, green economy and social development.
The survey found that around 61 per cent of voters identified tree plantation and reducing plastic use as the primary ways to protect the environment.
Political candidates expressed similar views. Researchers noted a behavioural tendency among voters to prioritise environmental actions that are personally easy to implement.
Awareness of renewable energy remains limited. Only 47 per cent of voters said they were familiar with renewable energy, while the figure among candidates stood at 42 per cent.
The study noted that renewable energy is yet to be widely recognised as a central component of environmental protection and sustainable development.
Both voters and candidates were found to place the least emphasis on the social pillar compared to environmental and economic concerns.
The pressure of poverty, income insecurity and employment dominates voter priorities, pushing social issues to the margins.
In terms of social development, voters’ priorities were confined largely to two basic areas: health and education.
According to CPD, this highlights the reality that a significant portion of the population is still struggling to meet fundamental needs.
The survey findings were presented at the briefing by CPD Research Director Khondaker Golam Moazzem. Also present were Senior Research Associate Helen Mashiat, programme associate Sami Mohammad, Maliha Sabah and Noor Yana Jannat.