Around 77 per cent of voters in Bangladesh believe development primarily means the construction of roads and culverts and the creation of employment, suggesting that public understanding of development remains heavily infrastructure-focused, according to a new survey.
The findings were unveiled by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) at a media briefing held on Saturday at the BRAC Centre Inn in Dhaka’s Mohakhali area.
The survey, titled “Electoral Constituencies and the State of the Green Sustainable Economy: Findings from Candidate and Voter Surveys,” examines how voters and political candidates perceive development in the run-up to national elections.
CPD Research Director Khondaker Golam Moazzem presented the results, alongside Senior Research Associate Helen Mashiat and researchers Sami Mohammad, Maliha Sabah and Noor Yana Jannat.
According to the survey, most voters continue to associate development with visible infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges and culverts. As these projects are often directly or indirectly linked to employment opportunities, voters regard them as tangible signs of development—an outlook that also shapes voting behaviour during elections.
The perception is particularly strong among urban voters, with about 86 per cent linking development closely to road and bridge construction. Similar views were found in the Chattogram Hill Tracts, coastal regions, climate-vulnerable areas and other marginalised regions.
A comparable mindset was observed among political party representatives. While some party figures demonstrated a broader understanding of development, voters’ perceptions remain overwhelmingly centred on physical infrastructure, the study found.
Speaking at the briefing, CPD Senior Research Associate Helen Mashiat said that 95 per cent of voters believe it is possible to build a green and sustainable society in Bangladesh, reflecting widespread optimism.
However, she warned that a narrow, one-dimensional view of development could undermine long-term objectives such as environmental protection, climate adaptation and sustainable growth. She stressed the need for greater emphasis on education, health, environmental protection and overall quality of life alongside infrastructure and employment.
The survey covered 150 electoral constituencies and collected responses from 450 election candidates and their nominated representatives, as well as 1,200 voters from climate-vulnerable areas. It analysed perceptions, expectations and policy priorities across three pillars: the environment, the green economy and social development.
Preference for simple environmental solutions
On environmental issues, around 61 per cent of voters identified tree planting and reducing plastic use as the most important measures for environmental protection. Political candidates expressed similar views.
Researchers noted a tendency among voters to prioritise actions that are relatively easy to undertake at an individual level as solutions to environmental challenges.
Awareness of renewable energy remains limited. Only 47 per cent of voters said they were familiar with renewable energy, while the figure among candidates was about 42 per cent. The survey highlighted a persistent gap in recognising renewable energy as a core element of environmental protection and sustainable development.
The study also found that both voters and candidates place the least emphasis on the social pillar of development, compared with environmental and economic issues. According to CPD, pressures related to poverty, income and employment have pushed broader social concerns into the background.
When it comes to social development, voters’ priorities are largely confined to health and education—underscoring, CPD said, that a significant share of the population continues to struggle to meet basic needs.