Saved by the neighbour: Thanks to Afghanistan, Bangladesh never hits rock bottom

A fear has often prevailed in Bangladesh: We are becoming "another Afghanistan".

Let's face it, Bangladesh has been racing to the bottom of global rankings for years. 

Corruption, press freedom, the rule of law, democracy, you name it, and we're somewhere in the depths, gasping for air. 

But we won't become Afghanistan. See, Bangladesh needs Afghanistan more than ever. 

Thanks to our ever-reliable neighbour Afghanistan, we aren't dead last. 

A small, yet questionable, victory.

In the Freedom in the World 2024 ranking, Bangladesh clings to the 6th position among South Asian countries, securing a shaky 40 points out of 100, labelled 'partly free'. 

Afghanistan? Sitting comfortably in the basement at 8th place with just 6 points which is labelled as 'not free'.

Corruption Perception Index 2024: Bangladesh's situation worsens, slips two notches

Then comes the Rule of Law Index 2024, where Bangladesh proudly (?) stands at 127th among 142 countries. Afghanistan, true to form, holds the 140th spot, once again ensuring we aren't rock bottom.

The Press Freedom Index 2024 tells a similarly grim story.

Bangladesh ranks 165th out of 180 countries. But, wait! Afghanistan is at 178th, making us look slightly better.

The Trace Bribery Risk Matrix 2024 places Bangladesh at 147th out of 194, with Afghanistan lagging far behind at 186. 

In the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2024, Bangladesh slips two spots to 151st, while Afghanistan generously takes the hit at 165th.

Let's talk numbers.

Bangladesh's CPI score in 2024 is 23 out of 100 – one point lower than last year and the lowest in thirteen years. 

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's score of 17 (a drop of three points) ensures we're not wearing the 'most corrupt in South Asia' crown just yet.

Interestingly, Bangladesh always finds itself split between two extreme narratives when it comes to Afghanistan. 

On one hand, a group of self-proclaimed liberals constantly warns that the country is heading down the same path as the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, citing concerns over rising Islamist extremism and shrinking freedoms. 

Another group – and the hardline Islamists seem to aspire for just that – openly advocate for a more Afghanistan-like governance.

And now, with these global rankings, both sides might finally find some peace? 

And the rest of the country? Just caught in between, watching the numbers drop year after year, hoping for a miracle that never comes.

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So, what does all this mean? 

Well, if Bangladesh were a student, it would be the one barely scraping by, only saved from utter failure because someone else forgot to turn in their exam paper. 

But before we celebrate this 'relative success', it's worth asking, how long can we keep dodging last place simply because someone else is doing worse?

Perhaps, instead of racing to the bottom, we could start aiming a little higher. 

Just a thought.