Bangladesh’s global rankings reveal ongoing struggles with corruption, press freedom, and rule of law. While it maintains a slight advantage over Afghanistan, concerns persist about declining values. The country must consider aiming higher rather than allowing itself to be buoyed by the failures of its neighbor.
Bangladesh finds itself in a dubious position within global rankings, relying on its neighbor Afghanistan to avoid being last in several areas. Years of deterioration across various sectors, including corruption and press freedom, has led to a worrying trend, with the fear of becoming akin to Afghanistan looming large. Currently, in the Freedom in the World 2024 index, Bangladesh occupies the 6th place among South Asian nations with a score of 40 points, denoted as ‘partly free.’ Afghanistan, however, ranks at the bottom with a mere 6 points designated as ‘not free.’
In the Rule of Law Index 2024, Bangladesh ranks 127th out of 142 countries, while Afghanistan sits at 140th, thereby ensuring Bangladesh does not claim the last position. Similarly, the Press Freedom Index 2024 places Bangladesh at 165th among 180 nations, with Afghanistan trailing at 178th, again providing Bangladesh a semblance of superiority. Furthermore, the Trace Bribery Risk Matrix 2024 ranks Bangladesh at 147th out of 194, while Afghanistan stands at 186th, illustrating ongoing corruption issues in both countries.
The Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2024 reports Bangladesh slipping to 151st, but with Afghanistan at 165th, Bangladesh narrowly avoids the title of the most corrupt nation in South Asia. Notably, Bangladesh’s CPI score is now 23 out of 100—its lowest in thirteen years—while Afghanistan’s score has dropped to 17 points. This scenario underscores the contrasting narratives within Bangladesh about its trajectory relative to Afghanistan, with some fearing a downturn towards extremism while others express a desire for a more Taliban-like governance system.
Despite these alarming rankings, Bangladesh continues to navigate between these extremes, with the general populace left to grapple with deteriorating conditions, yearning for improvement. As Bangladesh hovers just above the lowest ranks, one must ponder how sustainable this position is, saved from complete failure only by Afghanistan’s worse circumstances. Instead of perpetually settling for mediocrity, it may be prudent for Bangladesh to aspire toward higher goals.
In conclusion, Bangladesh’s current rankings in various global indices reflect a disconcerting trend of decline across numerous sectors. Reliance on Afghanistan’s poor performance to maintain a semblance of success serves as a temporary reprieve rather than a solution. It is imperative for Bangladesh to recognize these challenges and endeavor to strive for improvement rather than merely avoiding the last spot in rankings.
Original Source: www.tbsnews.net
