Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh has dropped two places in Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2024, ranking 151st out of 180 countries, compared to 149th in 2023.
The country scored 23 out of 100, its lowest in 13 years, placing it below the average score of authoritarian regimes, which stands at 29. Despite this drop, Bangladesh ranks 14th from the bottom globally, a slight relative improvement due to worse performances by other countries.
The report was published by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) at a press conference in Dhaka. TIB highlighted that the 2024 score underscores the deeply entrenched and systemic nature of corruption in Bangladesh.
The score, five points below its highest of 28 in 2017, demonstrates a troubling decline and categorises Bangladesh as a country “losing control of corruption.”
Bangladesh remains the second lowest-ranked country in South Asia, ahead of only Afghanistan, and the fifth lowest in the Asia-Pacific region.
Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have experienced declines in CPI scores over the 2012-2024 period, with both nations under authoritarian regimes during this time.
Bangladesh’s score is also 20 points below the global average of 43, placing it among 101 countries with a “very serious corruption problem.”
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman attributed the deterioration to the governance of the previous Awami League government, accusing it of fostering, facilitating, and participating in corrupt practices over the past 13 years.
While anti-corruption rhetoric has featured prominently in political discourse, genuine reforms have been scarce.
He called for implementing the Anti-Corruption Reform Commission’s recommendations, focusing on making the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) independent and accountable.
He also stressed the need for prioritising action against high-level corruption to create a deterrent effect.
Corruption in Bangladesh spans multiple sectors, including public procurement, law enforcement, the judiciary, education, healthcare, and infrastructure development.
The financial sector is particularly vulnerable, with repeated banking scandals involving embezzlement, loan defaults, and money laundering that often go unpunished.
In the South Asian context, India ranked 96th with a score of 38, Maldives 96th with 38, Nepal 107th with 34, Sri Lanka 121st with 32, and Pakistan 135th with 27. Afghanistan fared the worst, ranking 165th with a score of 17.
Globally, Denmark remains the least corrupt country with a score of 90, followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84). South Sudan ranked last with a score of 8, followed by Somalia (9), Venezuela (10), and Syria (12).
The report underscores an urgent need for governance reforms and effective anti-corruption measures to reverse Bangladesh’s decline and address its deeply entrenched corruption issues.
