The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

US based International Republican Institute (IRI) in its exit poll conducted in Bangladesh showed that the respondents said containing price inflation and corruption should be the priority for the next government.

The exit poll by IRI for the first time in Bangladesh under the supervision of David Williams of Williams and Associates interviewed 18,055 persons during the polling at 150 centers across the country.

Some 27 percent of the respondents said that price inflation need the greatest attention of the government while 22 percent attached priority to curbing corruption.

Some 86 percent said they do not encounter any problem, difficulty or irregularity when in casting vote.

82 percent mentioned that things in Bangladesh are headed in the right direction.

The Exit poll showed 93 percent answered that candidates, their surrogates or a political party offered gift, favour, food or money to try to convince to vote for them.

It found that 35.1 percent cast their votes for 4-party alliance while in the official result said that the alliance got 37.8 percent votes.

60.3 respondents answered that they cast their votes for the grand alliance while official result said it got 56.6 percent votes.

31 percent of the respondents said that they cast their votes to particular party as he/she or their family always votes this way. 8 percent said that they had decided about casting votes during the campaign period (last three weeks) while the same percentage said that they decided after elections were scheduled (five weeks ago).