The latest findings from the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2026, which places Bangladesh at an abysmal 123rd out of 143 countries, should serve as an urgent wake-up call.
While the improvement from 125th last year is positive, and potentially shows that we are heading in the right direction, this marginal, fractional improvement does not change our reality, which remains humiliating.
That Bangladesh continues to trail behind several African nations, including Kenya, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe, and is languishing near the bottom of regional and global governance metrics shows that there is little to be proud of for us. Instead, it is time for some much needed humility, and the need to get to work.
There is no denying that there has been a structural decay when it comes to ensuring fundamental rights and civil justice in recent years. While minor gains were logged in governmental constraints and regulatory enforcement, fundamental rights plummeted to 133rd globally, placing Bangladesh among the lowest-ranked nations for protecting basic human freedoms.
Similarly, civil justice ranked a dismal 132nd, demonstrating that access to effective remedies and impartial dispute resolution remains an empty promise for ordinary citizens.
When a country's judicial and legal frameworks fail to guarantee basic security, equity, and civil protection, it is the entire nation and its people that bear the ramifications.
We cannot take comfort in sluggish, incremental movements when systemic rot continues to paralyze our institutions. We must recognize and address the bureaucratic inertia, selective legal enforcement, and political interference that have corroded the judiciary and law enforcement bodies.
Talk of reform continues to fall on deaf years, yet comprehensive, aggressive institutional reforms remain more urgent than ever before. Bangladesh will never reach its potential as a nation without restoring public trust. For that, the rule of law must apply equally to all.
