Bangladesh has advanced two places in the rule of law index, ranking 123rd among 143 countries and jurisdictions in the 2026 Rule of Law Index published by the World Justice Project (WJP). Despite the improvement, the country remains below the global average, with several countries in South America and Africa ranking ahead of it.

Bangladesh scored 0.39 in the index, compared with the global average of 0.55. However, the country ranked 15th worldwide in terms of improvement in the rule of law this year. Among South Asian countries, Bangladesh recorded the greatest progress.

Bangladesh ranks fourth among South Asian countries in the overall rule of law standings. Nepal leads the region, followed by Sri Lanka and India in second and third place, respectively. Pakistan and Afghanistan rank below Bangladesh.

Several African countries also performed better than Bangladesh. Ghana ranked 62nd, Kenya 100th, Liberia 103rd, Sierra Leone 110th, Nigeria 120th and Zimbabwe 122nd.

European countries dominate the top positions in the global index. Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Luxembourg occupy the first five places, respectively.

The index assesses the rule of law based on eight factors: constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice and criminal justice.

Bangladesh improved in three of the eight factors: constraints on government powers, absence of corruption and regulatory enforcement. Its performance deteriorated in the remaining five factors.

The country’s weakest performance was in fundamental rights, where it scored 0.31 and ranked 133rd among the 143 countries and jurisdictions. Bangladesh also performed poorly in civil justice, scoring 0.31 and ranking 132nd. This factor assesses, among other aspects, the protection of fundamental human rights under international law.

Bangladesh’s strongest relative position among the eight factors was in open government, where it scored 0.42 and ranked 128th. In order and security, the country scored 0.56, ranking 114th. This factor measures how effectively society ensures the security of individuals and property.

In regulatory enforcement, which assesses the effectiveness of regulatory authorities and the implementation of regulations, Bangladesh scored 0.56 and ranked 114th. In criminal justice, it scored 0.34, placing 119th.

Under the absence of corruption factor, which measures bribery, improper influence and the misuse of public resources, Bangladesh scored 0.34 and ranked 119th.

Meanwhile, under constraints on government powers, which measures legal accountability and limitations on the exercise of government authority, Bangladesh scored 0.38 and ranked 94th.

Although Bangladesh improved its overall position in the index, the deterioration in five factors, including fundamental rights and civil justice, highlights persistent weaknesses in establishing the rule of law. Its score remaining below the global average also underscores the need for further progress.