Bangladesh again ranks 127th in global rule of law index

Bangladesh's overall rule of law score decreased by 1.5% in the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index 2023, ranking 127th out of 142 countries.

With a score of 0.38 out of 1 in the index, released on Wednesday, Bangladesh ranked 4th out of six countries in South Asia and 28th among 37 lower-middle-income countries.

Bangladesh ranked 127th out of 140 countries in the 2022 Index, with an overall score of 0.39.

However, Bangladesh improved by two positions in the 2023 index, when compared to the rankings of the same 140 countries measured in the 2022 index, excluding Kuwait and Montenegro, the two new additions to the 2023 index.

This year, Nepal was named the top performer in South Asia, ranking 71st globally with an overall score of 0.52. It is followed by Sri Lanka (77th) and India (79th).

The three countries with the lowest scores in the region are — Bangladesh (127th), Pakistan (130th), and Afghanistan (140th). 

Globally, the top-ranked country in the 2023 index is Denmark, followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Germany. The country with the lowest score is Venezuela, followed by Cambodia, Afghanistan, Haiti, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

The index measures the experiences and perceptions of the rule of law in 142 countries and jurisdictions, based on surveys with more than 149,000 households and over 3,400 experts and lawyers between February and June 2023.

Each country's score is an average of eight factors: constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice.

Scores range from 0 to 1, where 1 signifies the highest possible score (strong adherence to the rule of law) and 0 signifies the lowest possible score (weak adherence to the rule of law).

This is the sixth consecutive index marking global declines in the rule of law. This year alone, the rule of law declined in 59% of countries surveyed — including Bangladesh, as mentioned in the press release issued by the World Justice Project.

Since 2016, the rule of law has declined in 78% of countries studied, with Fundamental Rights declining the most in 77% of countries, including Bangladesh.

"The world remains gripped by a rule of law recession characterised by executive overreach, curtailing of human rights, and justice systems that are failing to meet people's needs. People around the world are paying the price," said WJP Co-founder and President William H Neukom.