Bangladesh moves up 16 notches in World Press Freedom Index

Bangladesh has moved up 16 places in the World Press Freedom Index compared to last year. However, the index has again identified the situation of independent journalism in Bangladesh as 'very serious'.

On Friday (May 2), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international non-profit organization working on the rights of journalists worldwide, released its 2025 index.

Bangladesh is ranked 149th out of 180 countries in the index, with a score of 33.71.

Bangladesh was ranked 165th in the 2024 index, up from 163rd the previous year. This is the first time since 2018 that Bangladesh is ranked within 150 in the index.

India is ranked 151st, Pakistan 158th, and Bhutan 152nd among South Asian countries in RSF's index this year. These three countries lag behind Bangladesh in the index. However, Nepal (90th), Sri Lanka (139th) and Maldives (104th) are ahead of Bangladesh.

According to the organization, which has been publishing an annual press freedom index for 23 years, press freedom has reached its lowest point this time.

This year's report says that for the first time in the history of the index, the favorable environment for journalism has been identified as poor for half of the world's countries. The situation is satisfactory in less than a quarter of countries.

After falling 11 places in the index in 2024, the United States is ranked 57th this year, down two places. The country's position in this index is now below the war-torn country of Sierra Leone in West Africa.

According to RSF, Donald Trump has caused an alarming decline in press freedom in the United States since taking office for a second term as president, which indicates an authoritarian turn in the country.

Norway tops the index for the ninth consecutive time. This time, Estonia and the Netherlands occupy the second and third places.