Bangladesh nears India in global internet freedom rankings

NN ONLINE:

Bangladesh has made notable strides in online freedom, moving significantly closer to India in the global Internet Freedom Index despite a worldwide decline in digital liberties.

According to the “Freedom on the Net 2025” report released by Freedom House on November 13, Bangladesh’s score has risen from 40 last year to 45 this year— highest in seven years. Regionally, this places the country close to India (51) and Sri Lanka (53). International attention has focused on Bangladesh’s improvement, which follows a series of reforms undertaken after Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb assumed office as Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Posts and Telecommunications Division, said a ministry press release.

The key initiatives include the introduction of a new Telecom Ordinance, major changes to the surveillance framework, and passage of both the Personal Data Protection Ordinance and the National Data Management Ordinance, it also said

A visiting World Bank delegation has praised these two ordinances as world-class, it said, adding that Freedom House identified Bangladesh as the country making the greatest progress this year among 72 nations assessed.

The report attributes this improvement in part to the removal of a repressive government in a student-led uprising in August 2024 and to the policy reforms of the interim government, particularly a policy revision to end internet shutdowns and the repeal of a controversial cyber security law.

Bangladesh’s rapid advancement underscores its commitment to creating a more open and secure digital future.  Ongoing initiatives in quality internet governance, digital transformation, simplifying telecom licensing, enhancing citizen services, and improving interoperability are expected to push the country’s Internet Freedom Index score beyond 50 in the near future.