Bangladesh’s score in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025 has increased by one point to 24, ranking 150th out of 182 countries, but widespread corruption persists due to the lack of meaningful progress in state reforms, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said on Tuesday.
According to the CPI 2025, released by Berlin-based Transparency International (TI), Bangladesh’s latest score is the second-lowest the country has recorded in the past 14 years. Although the ranking has improved by one step from 2024, TIB said the marginal gain does not reflect any substantial change in governance or legal structures following the fall of authoritarian rule.
The findings were disclosed at a press conference in Dhaka as part of the global CPI release. TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said Bangladesh’s score fluctuated between 25 and 28 from 2012 to 2022 before falling to 24 in 2023 and 23 in 2024, and then rising by one point this year.
“The one-point increase reflects the unrealised positive prospects created by the July uprising, but not the reality of the state reform process,” he said, noting that effective and exemplary anti-corruption measures have yet to be taken over the past one and a half years.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman said Bangladesh is among countries that have failed to rein in corruption and ranks second-lowest in South Asia, after Afghanistan. Bangladesh’s score is 18 points below the global average of 42 and 21 points below the Asia-Pacific average of 45.
He also said that despite the fall of kleptocracy, money laundering has not stopped, while sections of the bureaucracy and political actors are obstructing key reform initiatives.
Globally, Denmark topped the CPI 2025 with a score of 89, followed by Finland and Singapore. South Sudan and Somalia ranked lowest. Of the 182 countries surveyed, two-thirds scored below 50.
TIB urged political parties to pursue comprehensive and sustainable reforms instead of selective measures, warning that corruption in Bangladesh and South Asia remains deeply alarming.
CPI defines corruption as the “abuse of public power for private gain.” All surveys and data are analyzed according to internationally recognized standards with utmost care. For detailed methodology, visit: www.ti-bangladesh.org/cpi