Bangladesh has ranked 165th among 180 nations in on the World Press Freedom Index 2024.
Only Afghanistan is below Bangladesh in the list among South Asian countries, according to the index by Reporters Without Borders published on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on Friday (3 May).
Bangladesh’s score dropped to 27.64 out of 100 - a decrease from 35.31 last year, when it was ranked 163rd.
In 2022, Bangladesh held the 162nd position with a score of 36.63.
Meanwhile, it was in 2021, it was in 152nd place with a score of 50.29.
World Press Freedom Index assesses the level of freedom enjoyed by journalists and media across various countries and territories, analysing five contextual indicators: Political context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context, and safety.
The report underscores that press freedom worldwide faces threats from political authorities, as indicated by the significant decline in the political indicator, which has experienced a global average decrease of 7.6 points.
The report highlights the Asia-Pacific region as the world's second most challenging region for journalism.
Myanmar, China, North Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan are among the top 10 most dangerous countries for media personnel, according to the index.
Norway retains its top spot in the global index with a score of 91.89, followed by Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Finland, Estonia, Portugal, Ireland, Switzerland, and Germany, rounding up the top 10.
Ranking 74th globally with a score of 60.52, Nepal has emerged as the leader in press freedom in South Asia.
It is followed by the Maldives at 106th with a score of 52.36.
Bhutan, previously leading in the region, now stands in third place in the region with a score of 37.29 and a global ranking of 147th.
Sri Lanka follows closely behind at fourth place with a score of 35.21 and a global rank of 150th.
Pakistan occupies the fifth position in the region, standing at 152nd place.
India holds the sixth position regionally and has climbed to 159th globally from last year's 161st.
Afghanistan now ranks at the bottom of the region, plummeting 26 places to 178th, with a score of 19.09.
