Massive Public Support for Parliamentary and Political Reforms: Citizens for Good Governance (Sujon)

A recent public opinion survey conducted by Citizens for Good Governance (Sujon) reveals that a large majority of people in Bangladesh support major reforms in the parliamentary structure and political processes. The survey results were announced at a press conference held on Tuesday afternoon at Dhaka Reporters Unity.

The survey was conducted nationwide from May to July this year, collecting opinions from 1,373 citizens through 40 questions and 15 citizen dialogues.

Key Findings:

• 89% of respondents support a maximum two-term limit for the Prime Minister.
  
  

• 71% favor proportional representation (PR) in seat allocation in the upper house.
  
  

• 69% support the formation of a bicameral parliament.
  
  

• 87% agree with the proposal that the same person should not simultaneously hold the positions of Prime Minister, party leader, and parliamentary leader.
  
  

• 87% support mandatory approval from the Election Commission before the executive branch takes any action during the election period.
  
  

• 86% favor certifying and announcing the election results within 48 hours.
  
  

• 88% support disqualification of candidates who provide false information about election expenses.
  
  

• 92% agree that corrupt, terrorist, and convicted individuals should be disqualified from party membership.
  
  

• 83% support the formation of a non-partisan caretaker government for 120 days during elections.
  
  

• 90% favor granting constitutional status to important institutions such as the Anti-Corruption Commission and Human Rights Commission.
  
  

• 90% support the establishment of a permanent independent police commission.
  
  

Sujon’s Position:
The results were presented by Ekram Hossain, a member of Sujon’s national committee. The organization’s secretary, Badiul Alam Majumdar, stated, “This survey proves that people want reforms and change. The existing structures and institutions have centralized excessive power in the hands of one person. To strengthen democracy, fundamental changes in these systems are necessary.”

At the press conference, speakers including Professor Robayet Ferdous from the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Dhaka University urged that public opinion must be reflected in order to preserve democracy.