Bangladesh scored 23 last year in the global corruption index of Transparency International (TI), the country’s worst corruption figure in 13 years.

The score puts Bangladesh the second most corrupt country in South Asia after Afghanistan, and the 14th most corrupt in the world, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said in a press briefing at Midas Centre in the capital on Tuesday.

Bangladesh has fallen two spots since 2023, and currently is tied with Congo and Iran as the 14th most corrupt countries in the world.

However, Bangladesh in not the only country to score poorly in 2024, 47 other countries, including the democratic powerhouses like the US and France, also got their worst scores in over 12 years.

TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman attributed Bangladesh’s poor score in 2024 to the largely lip service the ousted Awami League (AL) autocrats paid to anti-corruption efforts, while consciously avoiding legal actions against identified corrupt individuals.

The AL regime, during its over 15-year undemocratic rule, not only provided tacit support to the corruption culprits, but itself engaged directly in various corruption schemes, Dr Iftekharuzzaman alleged, while speaking at the press conference Tuesday.

The press conference was also attended by TIB Adviser and Dhaka University Professor Dr Sumaiya Khair and TIB Director for Outreach Mohammad Tauhidul Islam.