Bangladesh slipped two spots to 151st on the Transparency International’s global Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2024, securing the lowest score in 13 years.
The country scored 23 out of 100, down from 24 in 2023, when it ranked 149th. This remains far below the global average of 43.
However, Bangladesh improved slightly in its ranking among the world’s most corrupt countries, moving to 14th place from 10th in 2023, as some countries performed worse in 2024.
“Bangladesh’s latest score is the lowest in 13 years since 2012, showing that while the government talks against corruption, it has actually allowed and even supported it,” said Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of the Transparency International Bangladesh, while unveiling the latest CPI report in Dhaka on Tuesday.
“This has led to widespread corruption, weak law enforcement, and a steady decline in the country’s position,” he added.
Since 2012, Bangladesh’s score on the CPI’s 0-100 scale had fluctuated between 25 and 28 until 2022. However, in 2023, it dropped by one point to 24—the lowest in a decade. This year, it has fallen further to 23, the TIB boss stated.
Denmark ranks at the top of the 2024 index as the least corrupt country with a score of 90. Finland follows in second place with a score of 88, while Singapore ranks third with a score of 84.
On the other end of the list, South Sudan ranks the lowest with a score of 8, followed by Somalia with 9, and Venezuela in the third-lowest position with a score of 10.
Except for Afghanistan, Bangladesh has the highest level of corruption among South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan, and Nepal. Bhutan is the least corrupt country in the region, ranking 18th globally with a score of 72 out of 100.
Corruption in Bhutan has decreased compared to 2023, and no other South Asian country comes close to its ranking.
According to this year’s index analysis, Bangladesh is among the countries losing control over corruption. The TIB termed the level of corruption in Bangladesh as “highly alarming.”
“Bangladesh’s score is lower than that of countries ranked at the bottom in the citizen freedom and human development Index. It is also 10 points lower than the most corrupt region, Sub-Saharan Africa,” Iftekharuzzaman remarked.
The CPI report reveals that 57 percent (101 out of 180) of the countries included in the CPI scored below the global average of 43, while 68 percent (122 countries) scored below 50.
Additionally, a quarter of the countries on this year’s index (47 nations) recorded their lowest scores in the past 13 years since 2012.
