About 53.6percent of Bangladeshis like India as a country, while 41.3percent dislike it, according to a public opinion survey by Voice of America (VOA) Bangla published on Saturday.

The survey revealed that both India and Pakistan hold a positive image in Bangladesh.

People also have favourable opinions of other development partner countries. The survey asked 1,000 respondents to rate certain countries on a scale of 1 to 5. Scores of 1 and 2 were categorised as ‘liked’, and 4 and 5 as ‘disliked’.

About 59percent of respondents rated Pakistan on the 'liked' scale, while India scored 53.6percent. However, a notable difference was observed in the "disliked" scale: 28.5percent disliked Pakistan, while 41.3percent disliked India.

Among neighbouring countries, Myanmar was the most disliked, with 59.1percent rating it on the "disliked" scale and only 24.5percent on the "liked" scale.

Among other selected countries, the United States received the highest "liked" score (68.4percent), followed by China (66percent), Russia (64percent), and the United Kingdom (62.7percent).

The nationwide survey was conducted by ORG Quest Research under VOA Bangla’s editorial guidelines between 13-27October. It was based on specific questions and conducted via computer-assisted telephone interviews among 1,000 people aged 18 or older from eight divisions of the country.

The survey showed religious differences in opinions about India and Pakistan. Among Muslim respondents, 44.2percent disliked India, while only 4.2percent of non-Muslims (Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists) disliked it.

On the ‘liked’ scale, 50.7percent of Muslim respondents favoured India, compared to 90.1percent of non-Muslim respondents. For Pakistan, 60.1percent of Muslim respondents and 44.1percent of non-Muslim respondents gave favourable ratings.

Age differences also played a role. Younger respondents preferred Pakistan over India, but respondents over 35 years old favoured India over Pakistan. Among those aged 18-34, 47.8percent liked India, and 49.3percent disliked it.

For respondents over 35, 59.8percent liked India, and 35percent disliked it. Again, 52 percent of male respondents liked India, compared to 64.4 percent who liked Pakistan. Among females, 55.3 percent liked India, and 53.2 percent liked Pakistan.

There was little difference in opinions between urban and rural respondents.

In urban areas, 50.4 percent liked India and 63.9 percent liked Pakistan. In rural areas, 54.7percent liked India, while 57.3 percent liked Pakistan. Overall, while India and Pakistan scored similarly on the ‘liked’ scale, India had higher ‘disliked’ scores. Many attributed this to India’s perceived role in Bangladesh's internal politics.