Democracy Index: Bangladesh moves two notches up

Bangladesh ranked 73rd on the Democracy Index 2022, prepared by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), two notches up from the previous year.

In 2021, Bangladesh was in the 75th position on the index.

As per the latest index, Norway was at the top of the list whereas neighbouring India secured 47th position.

Based on the electoral process and pluralism, government functions, political participation, political culture and civil liberties, the index categorised Bangladesh as a hybrid regime.

A hybrid regime means Bangladesh has a fraudulent electoral system which slows down its effort to be a free and democratic country.

Bangladesh continued to score 5.99 out of 10 steadily over the last three years.

On a regional basis, Bangladesh ranked 15th while neighbouring India ranked eighth in Asia and Australasia region, according to the index.

The report also revealed that the long decline of global democracy has somewhat stalled in 2022.

The developed countries of western Europe dominate among the world's "full democracies", accounting for 14 of the total of 24 in 2022, reveals the report.

Canada is the sole "full democracy" in North America, as the US continues to languish as a "flawed democracy", where it was relegated in 2016.

Asia and Australasia have five "full democracies" -- Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand.

Three Latin American countries are classed as "full democracies" -- Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay -- and so is one African country, Mauritius.