Bangladesh’s struggle with corruption intensifies, as revealed by Transparency International’s 2025 CPI: 24 out of 100 points place it 13th worst worldwide, slipping further from 2024 and its long-term average. South Asia’s runner-up to Afghanistan in graft rankings, it lags the global benchmark significantly.
The index covers 180 nations, with Bangladesh in the bottom 96 under 42 points and 122 below 50. Labeled with ‘highly severe’ issues by local media, the country grapples with unrelenting political and administrative malfeasance.
July’s revolutionary fervor briefly lifted hopes of eradicating kleptocracy, but the interim administration faltered. Absent are robust plans, analyses, or strategies; reforms via decrees crumble under opposition and cherry-picking.
The ACC remains unreformed, its potential untapped. Post-uprising, a retaliatory looting culture – ‘now we extract our share’ – reinforces systemic flaws, blocking score gains.
Nations like Angola and Timor-Leste, former low performers, advanced via digitalization, institutional tweaks, and high-profile convictions. Globally, the CPI charts corruption’s advance but spotlights viable fixes: elite accountability, transparent rule, and shielding journalists and activists.
Bangladesh must pivot decisively. Prioritize a holistic reform blueprint, empower watchdogs, confront vested interests, and foster ethical governance. Only then can it climb from this abyss, reclaiming credibility on the world stage.