Bangladesh improves in Rule of Law index, yet remains near global bottom

Bangladesh has emerged as one of the world's fastest improvers in the rule of law this year – but the country still sits near the bottom of the global rankings, according to the Rule of Law Index 2025 released today (28 October).

Bangladesh recorded a modest rise in its overall rule of law score from 0.386 to 0.391 out of 1 – a 1.3% improvement that made it the fourth-biggest improver globally and the top gainer in South Asia.

Yet the progress barely lifted its position: Bangladesh ranked 125th among 143 countries and jurisdictions, still among the bottom 20 in the world and well below the global average score of 0.55.

In fact, the country's stagnation runs deep. Bangladesh had been stuck in the 127th position for three consecutive years, from 2022 to 2024, before this year's marginal climb.

The flagship report by the World Justice Project (WJP), painted a grim global picture. Rule of law weakened in 68% of countries between 2024 and 2025, with only 32% – including Bangladesh – showing any improvement.

This year, Nepal once again was named the top performer in South Asia, ranking 72nd globally with an overall score of 0.52. It is followed by Sri Lanka (74th) and India (86th).

The three countries with the lowest scores in the region are Bangladesh (125th), Pakistan (130th), and Afghanistan (142nd). 

Globally, the top-ranked country in the 2025 index is Denmark, followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden, and New Zealand. The country with the lowest score is Venezuela, followed by Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti, and Nicaragua.

Meanwhile, for the eighth consecutive year, the rule of law weakened in more countries than those in which it improved (68% declined vs 32% improved).

The 2025 Index drew on the experiences of more than 2,15,000 ordinary people and over 4,100 insightful survey responses from legal practitioners and scholars across 143 countries and jurisdictions.

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).

Performance across key factors

Between 2024 and 2025, Bangladesh showed improvement in six areas – constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, civil justice, and criminal justice – but its performance declined in order and security, and regulatory enforcement.

Among all factors, Bangladesh's highest ranking came in the "Open Government" category, where it placed 106th with a score of 0.41.

This factor measures the transparency of the government, its accountability mechanisms, and citizen participation in public policy deliberations.

The country also performed relatively well in "Order and Security", ranking 109th with a score of 0.63, which assesses how effectively a society ensures the security of individuals and property.

In the "Absence of Corruption" category, which considers factors like bribery, improper influence, and misappropriation of public resources, Bangladesh ranked 114th with a score of 0.34.

For the "Constraints on Government Powers" category, the country placed 115th with a score of 0.37, which evaluates the extent to which those who govern are held accountable under the law.

Bangladesh ranked 118th in the "Criminal Justice" category, scoring 0.32, reflecting the functioning of the criminal justice system.

In "Regulatory Enforcement," the country ranked 125th with a score of 0.39, assessing the fairness and effectiveness of regulations.

In the "Civil Justice" category, which measures whether people can resolve their grievances through the civil justice system, Bangladesh ranked 132nd with a score of 0.36.

Bangladesh's worst performance was in the "Fundamental Rights" category, where it ranked 133rd with a score of 0.30. This category evaluates the protection of core human rights as established under international law.