Dhaka, April 16 (Inditop) Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, which completed 100 days in office, has done well on managing the economy and in tackling the border guard troopers’ mutiny, a survey said Thursday.
However, it fared badly in curbing indiscipline and corruption among its own cadres, said an opinion poll conducted by The Daily Star newspaper along with Nielsen.
The survey reveals that rural support for the government is stronger than its urban popularity. “But in the balance, the government drew an overall performance (of) satisfaction from the respondents,” the newspaper reported.
The survey found that 71 percent of the respondents feel that the country was moving in the right direction while 17 percent said it has been going in the wrong direction since the new government took over. Rural and female respondents voted more favourably.
Hasina took office in January after sweeping the Dec 29 poll. She heads a government with 31 ministers, 25 of whom are newcomers. The survey said many respondents could not name many of the ministers.
The survey touched issues like economic performance, inflation, administration and judiciary, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), law and order, corruption, and best performing ministers.
The survey was conducted between April 9 and April 12 among 2,520 respondents, all above 18 years of age. The interviews were taken at 180 spots in 44 districts.
Asked to rate the government’s 100-day performance, 62 percent said they are “satisfied”, 19 percent “very much satisfied”, while only 15 percent said they were “not satisfied”.
Such expression of high satisfaction cut across the political divide, the poll shows.
About the economy, 59 percent feel the government is doing well while 13 percent feel negatively, and 24 percent think the economy is not doing so well.
The government’s performance has generated a mixed response.
New Age newspaper said in an editorial Thursday: “….the signals that the Awami League-led government has sent across in its first 100 days could very well make one wonder if a change for the worse is the only change that lies ahead.”
The newspaper criticised the Hasina government for failing to try those responsible for alleged wrongdoings in the two-year caretaker government (2007-08).
On the Feb 25-26 mutiny by Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) troopers in which 55 Bangladesh Army officers were killed, the editorial said: “While we believe a military solution could have resulted in more loss of lives, its ultimate success will depend on the ongoing investigations being credible, the reports and recommendations made public and the subsequent prosecution transparent and within the ambit of law.”
