Bangladesh has improved one notch from the previous year and currently ranks 75th out of 165 countries and two regions in the EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit) Democracy Index-2021.
London-based Economist Intelligence Unit published the report on Thursday. The country ranked 76th rank in the EIU Democracy Index-2020.
Though Bangladesh improved one notch, the score remained the same like last year – 5.99. In the Democracy Index-2019, Bangladesh ranked 80th.
Neighbouring India and Pakistan ranked 46th and 104th in the index this year.
Like the last few years Bangladesh has been placed in the “Hybrid regime” section. The countries that scores greater than 4, and less than or equal to 6 have been placed in the “Hybrid regime” category. In the latest report, 34 countries have been placed in the category.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit Hybrid regimes are the countries where “Elections have substantial irregularities that often prevent them from being both free and fair. Government pressure on opposition parties and candidates may be common.
“Serious weaknesses are more prevalent than in flawed democracies -- in political culture, functioning of government and political participation. Corruption tends to be widespread and the rule of law is weak. Civil society is weak. Typically, there is harassment of and pressure on journalists, and the judiciary is not independent.”
Norway is in the top spot of EIU Democracy Index-2021 with the score of 9.75 while New Zealand and Finland are in the second and third spot with scores of 9.37 and 9.27 respectively. Sweden and Iceland are in the fourth and fifth spots.
Afghanistan has been placed in the last spot (167th) of the report with the score of 0.32. The country is preceded by Myanmar, North Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic.