Bangladesh 141st in 'mostly unfree' category

Bangladesh has ranked 141st among 164 countries on the freedom index in a global report.
The Atlantic Council, a US-based think tank, has prepared the 'Freedom and Prosperity Report'.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Asia Foundation shared the findings of the report at a conference in Dhaka on Tuesday.
"Every country grapples with issues like corruption and securing economic and political rights. The key lies not in avoiding problems, but in actively acknowledging and tackling them," US Ambassador Peter Haas said while addressing the event.
The Freedom and Prosperity Indexes are two separate indexes that rank 164 countries around the world according to their levels of freedom and prosperity.
Bangladesh's 141st ranking on the Freedom Index places it within the "mostly unfree" category. Its ranking of 99 out of 164 on the Prosperity Index categorises it as "mostly unprosperous".
Joseph Lemoine, director of the Atlantic Council's Freedom and Prosperity Center, was the keynote speaker.
Mr Lemoine highlighted key findings from the report, which measures and ranks countries' democratic and governance indicators in its Freedom Index, as well as its Prosperity Index that measures a nation's economic wellbeing.
"The data shows that countries with greater freedom tend to enjoy higher levels of prosperity, while those with less freedom tend to have lower levels of prosperity. Countries that promote political and economic freedoms, along with strong legal systems, create an environment that's more welcoming to foreign investors," he said in his keynote presentation.
Freer countries receive significantly more foreign direct investment than those with less freedom.
Overall, the Freedom Index suggests that a strong commitment to freedom is a key to attracting foreign investment.
"In Bangladesh, the data shows that the report's Freedom Index, which includes political, economic, and legal components, has been declining for 22 consecutive years," says a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Dhaka.
The US-based think tank's data is clear: strengthening basic freedoms accelerates economic growth over the long term.
'The Prosperity and Good Governance Conference' brought together representatives from government, civil society, business, donors, academia and think tanks. Among others, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter D. Haas and Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya spoke at the conference.

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