Freedom in Bangladesh improves amid global decline: Freedom House report
The latest edition of the annual report assesses political rights and civil liberties in 195 countries and 13 territories based on developments in 2024
Bangladesh's freedom rating improved by five points to 45 out of 100, even as global freedom saw its 19th consecutive year of decline, according to the Freedom in the World 2025 report by Freedom House, released on Wednesday (26 February).
The latest edition of the annual report assesses political rights and civil liberties in 195 countries and 13 territories based on developments in 2024.
Bangladesh's score rose to 16 out of 40 in political rights and 29 out of 60 in civil liberties.
However, global freedom declined for the 19th consecutive year in 2024. Sixty countries experienced deterioration in their political rights and civil liberties, and only 34 secured improvements.
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El Salvador, Haiti, Kuwait, and Tunisia were the countries with the largest score declines for the year, while Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Syria recorded the largest gains.
The report noted that this year Bangladesh might prove to be a bright spot for democracy after the collapse of Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime.
But the report also cautioned that much will depend on how the government pursues reforms, and whether it ensures, protects and expands individual freedoms and the rule of law.
The last time Bangladesh reached such a freedom rating was back in 2018. Since then, the country's rating has seen drastic decline, stagnating in the 39 or 40s, until this year.
Despite this significant improvement, Bangladesh's freedom status remains unchanged as "Partly Free".
The report mentioned that "political reform in Bangladesh, which emerged abruptly after a decade and a half of deepening repression under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, will be a daunting task."
It stated that unlike in the world's other bright spots in 2024, change in Bangladesh arrived as a result of mass protests rather than an election.
"In July, students launched peaceful demonstrations against an unpopular system of quotas for government jobs. Police and security services responded with disproportionate force, leading to the deaths of more than 1,500 people.
"After the protest movement intensified and leaders of the military and police refused to continue the lethal crackdown, Hasina resigned and fled the country. An interim government, led by economist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, was established shortly thereafter," the report said.
"The ouster of Hasina's Awami League government swiftly eased long-standing state pressure on other political parties, the media, labour unions, judges, university students, and faculty members, causing Bangladesh to tie with Bhutan for the year's largest score improvement.
"But much remains to be done. The new government's agenda includes ambitious political, economic, and legal reforms. It aims to amend or redraft the constitution, ensure accountability for last year's violence as well as other human rights abuses, increase judicial independence, and reestablish anti-corruption institutions," it added.
"The government is also facing demands to hold elections, reduce emerging religious tensions, stabilise the economy, and decide what to do about Hasina, who is now decrying the country's political situation from neighboring India", read the report.
Freedom in South Asia
Bhutan has become the only "Free" country in South Asia, upgrading from "Partly Free" with a score of 68, up from 63 last year.
India scored 63, Nepal 62, Sri Lanka 58, Maldives 43, Pakistan 32, and Afghanistan 6.
With the exception of Bhutan, all other South Asian nations remain classified as "Partly Free," while Afghanistan is the only country designated as "Not Free."
"Global freedom suffered another blow during a year that was replete with elections in every region," said Gerardo Berthin, interim co-president of Freedom House.
"Widespread violence targeted candidates and voters as billions went to the polls. Yet even in the face of these challenges, citizens continued to stand up and make their voices heard.
"It is increasingly clear that the only way to end the nearly two-decade recession in global freedom is for people in every sort of political environment to fight for their rights and security—and for democratic governments and institutions to work together to support them," he said.
