The Crime Reporter: Bangladesh has progressed two steps in the global democracy index. In this, Bangladesh’s position in the current index has reached 73. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), based in London, published the Democracy Index 2022 on Thursday (02 February).
This year’s index has been created with 167 countries and regions. Bangladesh scores 5.99 out of 10 in the index. Bangladesh was ranked 75th in the 2021 index. The score was 5.99. Bangladesh was ranked 76th in the 2020 index with the same score.
The index assesses the state of democracy in countries around the world in light of five key factors.
The topics are electoral process and pluralism, effectiveness of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties. The index divides countries and regions into 4 categories. Full democracy, flawed democracy, hybrid regime and authoritarian regime.
This year’s index includes 24 countries in the full democracy category. 48 countries in the flawed democracy category. 36 countries in hybrid governance. 59 countries under authoritarian regimes.
Like the last few times, Bangladesh is in the hybrid governance category. Countries with scores between 4 and 6 out of 10 are in this category. Bangladesh tops all in this category. Mauritania is at the bottom. The country ranks 108th in the index, with a score of 4.003. Other countries in this category include Bhutan (84th), Ukraine (87th), Uganda (99th), Nepal (101st), Pakistan (107th).
The Economist Intelligence Unit refers to hybrid regimes as systems in which free and fair elections are often impeded. In this regime, the government has regular pressure on opposition parties and opposition candidates. Judiciary systems of countries in this category are not independent. Journalists are harassed and pressured. Widespread corruption, weak rule of law, weak civil society characterize such regimes.
Afghanistan is at the bottom of this year’s democracy index (167th). This country scores zero decimal 32 in the authoritarian governance category. Other countries in the category include Myanmar (166th), North Korea (165th), Central African Republic (164th), Syria (163rd), China (156th), Yemen (155th), Iran (154th), Saudi Arabia (150th), Russia (146th).
