Only a quarter of citizens feel politically empowered: BBS survey
Nationally, only 27.24% of citizens believe they can freely express their views on government actions, with slightly higher confidence in urban areas (27.87%) compared to rural areas (26.94%).
A Citizen Perception Survey (CPS) 2025 by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) reveals that only about a quarter of citizens feel politically empowered in Bangladesh.
Nationally, only 27.24% of citizens believe they can freely express their views on government actions, with slightly higher confidence in urban areas (27.87%) compared to rural areas (26.94%).
Men are more likely to feel this freedom (31.86%) than women (23.02%).
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Even fewer citizens believe they can influence political processes, with just 21.99% reporting such confidence nationwide. The urban-rural gap is minimal, but gender disparity is significant – 26.55% of men feel they can influence politics, compared to only 17.81% of women.
The survey, conducted in February 2025, interviewed 84,807 people aged 18 and above from 45,888 households across all 64 districts.
Only 24.62% of respondents believe that decision-making in the country is inclusive and responsive. Urban respondents showed slightly higher confidence (24.91%) than rural respondents (24.47%), while men (29.21%) were more confident than women (20.42%).
The survey also highlights bribery as a major concern in accessing government services. About 31.67% of citizens reported experiencing bribery in the past year while seeking government services, with men facing it more frequently (38.62%) than women (22.71%). Corruption is especially prevalent in the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) at 63.29%, law enforcement agencies at 57.96%, and passport offices at 57.45%.
Despite these concerns, satisfaction with public services remains relatively high. Among those who accessed services, 72.69% expressed satisfaction with public healthcare, 81.56% with primary education, and 78.20% with secondary education. Satisfaction with other public services was lower at 66.91%.
The findings underscore limited political empowerment and persistent gender disparities, pointing to ongoing challenges in inclusive governance and citizen trust in Bangladesh's political and decision-making processes.
