The Human Truth Foundation

Bangladesh (People's Republic of Bangladesh)

http://www.humantruth.info/bangladesh.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

#bangladesh #blasphemy #burundi #congo,_dr #morocco #murder #netherlands #nigeria #qatar

Bangladesh
People's Republic of Bangladesh
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index130th best
CapitalDhaka
Land Area 130 170km21
LocationAsia
Population161.4m2
Life Expectancy72.38yrs (2017)3
GNI$5 472 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 CodesBD, BGD, 505
Internet Domain.bd6
CurrencyTaka (BDT)7
Telephone+8808

1. Overview

#bangladesh #hinduism #islam #pakistan

Muslim conversions and settlement in the region now referred to as Bangladesh began in the 10th century, primarily from Arab and Persian traders and preachers. Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area in the 16th century. Eventually the area known as Bengal, primarily Hindu in the western section and mostly Muslim in the Muslim-majority area, which became East Pakistan. Calls for greater autonomy and animosity between the eastern and western wings of Pakistan led to a Bengali independence movement. That movement, led by the Awami League (AL) and supported by India, won independence for Bangladesh in 1971, although at least 300,000 civilians died in the process. The post-independence, AL government faced daunting challenges and in 1975 was overthrown by the military, triggering a series of military coups that resulted in a military-backed government and subsequent creation of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). That government also ended in a coup in 1981, followed by military-backed rule until democratic elections in 1991. The BNP and AL have alternately held power since then, with the exception of a military-backed, emergency caretaker regime that suspended parliamentary elections planned for January 2007 in an effort to reform the political system and root out corruption. That government returned the country to fully democratic rule in December 2008 with the election of the AL and Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA. With the help of international development assistance, Bangladesh has made great progress in food security since independence, and the economy has grown at an average of about 6 percent over the last two decades.

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)9

Book CoverGorgeously green yet swamped with people, Bangladesh is a rural wonderland laden with waterways, peppered with villages and bursting with humanity. Bangladeshis are famously friendly, and you are almost certain to receive a warm welcome everywhere you go. The tourism industry is in its infancy and foreign visitors are still an unusual sight outside Dhaka. ... More than 700 rivers flow through this small country and the result is a deliciously lush landscape with more shades of green than you ever imagined. There are almost as many kilometres of rivers in Bangladesh as there are roads, and travelling by boat is a way of life here. This provides a fabulous opportunity to see the country from a more unusual angle. Even if you´re going nowhere in particular, travelling by boat is one of the most rewarding things you can do during your visit. Bangladesh isn´t a tick-the-sights-off-the-list type of country, so slow down, relax and discover new ideas and ways of life.

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)10

2. Bangladesh National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
Value11
1Switzerland0.962
2Norway0.961
3Iceland0.959
...
126Nicaragua0.667
127Bhutan0.666
128Cape Verde0.662
129Bangladesh0.661
130Tuvalu0.641
131Marshall Islands0.639
132India0.633
133Ghana0.632
Asia Avg0.75
World Avg0.72
q=191.
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
PPP $11
1Liechtenstein$146 830
2Singapore$90 919
3Qatar$87 134
...
131Cape Verde$6 230
132Ghana$5 745
133Nicaragua$5 625
134Bangladesh$5 472
135Angola$5 466
136Samoa$5 308
137Honduras$5 298
138Ivory Coast$5 217
Asia Avg$22 215
World Avg$20 136
q=193.
Social & Moral
Development Index
12
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank12
1Norway28.6
2Denmark30.0
3Sweden30.7
...
127Suriname98.0
128Namibia99.6
129Honduras100.4
130Bangladesh100.7
131Guyana101.3
132Zambia101.4
133Vanuatu102.2
134Tonga102.4
Asia Avg87.7
World Avg86.8
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Bangladesh's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population

Population:

Bangladesh's population is predicted to rise to 181.86 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 2.16. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Population2
Pos.2018
Population2
1China1.4b
2India1.4b
3USA327.1m
4Indonesia267.7m
5Pakistan212.2m
6Brazil209.5m
7Nigeria195.9m
8Bangladesh161.4m
9Russia145.7m
10Japan127.2m
11Mexico126.2m
12Ethiopia109.2m
World Avg39.0m
q=195.
Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
88Dominican Rep.72.6
89Oman72.5
90Belarus72.4
91Bangladesh72.4
92Peru72.4
93Syria72.1
94Armenia72.0
95Libya71.9
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
13
Pos.201313
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
...
21New Zealand2.15
22Azerbaijan2.16
23Chile1.84
24Bangladesh2.16
25Belgium1.83
26Algeria2.17
27Oman2.17
28Argentina2.18
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio
Lower is better
14
Pos.2016
Per 10014
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3=Chad04.7
...
72Egypt10.5
73=Libya10.5
73=S. Africa10.5
75Bangladesh10.6
76=Nepal10.8
76=Bhutan10.8
76=Micronesia10.8
79Honduras11.0
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants15
Pos.2017
%15
1UAE88.4%
2Kuwait75.5%
3Qatar65.2%
...
157Mexico0.9%
158Timor-Leste (E. Timor)0.9%
159Zambia0.9%
160Bangladesh0.9%
161Tanzania0.9%
162Mozambique0.8%
163Jamaica0.8%
164El Salvador0.7%
World Avg9.4%
q=195.
Emigrants16
Pos.2010
%16
1Dominica104.8%
2Palestine68.4%
3Samoa67.3%
...
136Sweden3.4%
137Ghana3.4%
138Nepal3.3%
139Bangladesh3.3%
140Botswana3.2%
141Spain3.0%
142Central African Rep.2.9%
143Angola2.8%
World Avg11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#Bangladesh #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)17
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank17
1Sweden9.0
2Norway14.5
3Denmark14.5
...
138=Indonesia111.0
139Uzbekistan111.1
140Bahrain112.7
141Bangladesh113.0
142Egypt113.4
143Bhutan114.1
Asia Avg99.9
World Avg87.9
q=199.
Bangladesh is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Bangladesh does better than average when it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice18 and in speed of uptake of HR treaties19. But unfortunately Bangladesh gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average in terms of commentary in Human Rights Watch reports20, its nominal commitment to Human Rights21 (still high for Asia), opposing gender inequality22, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms23, supporting press freedom24, LGBT equality25 and in freethought26. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)27. Women's rights and safety are both poorly protected and despite already having almost the highest rate of early marriage in the world28 it passed a law in 2017 removing the minimum age for marriage under "special circumstances"29. Bangladesh's "Export Processing Zones" have reduced legal controls on labour abuses and are below minimum international standards, with lots of serious abuse of factory workers28 in the name of creating cheap exports for multinational firms.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

5. Bangladesh's Health

#alcohol #Bangladesh #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Asia (2020)30
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank30
1Hong Kong18.3
2Maldives41.0
3Singapore42.6
...
11Oman62.9
12N. Korea65.0
13=Thailand65.3
14Bangladesh66.8
15Kuwait67.1
16Uzbekistan68.4
17Saudi Arabia69.3
18Qatar70.6
19Iran75.5
Asia Avg80.1
q=50.
Health (2020)30
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank30
1Monaco13.0
2Hong Kong18.3
3Maldives41.0
...
16=Thailand65.3
16=Finland65.3
18Switzerland65.6
19Bangladesh66.8
20Kuwait67.1
21Italy67.5
22Uzbekistan68.4
23Saudi Arabia69.3
World Avg93.5
q=196.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Hong Kong and The Maldives31. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau31.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean31, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa31.

For more, see:

Health:

Bangladesh does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Bangladesh does the best in its alcohol consumption rate32. It does better than average in terms of its fertility rate13, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance33, its immunizations take-up34 (but bad for Asia) and in its average life expectancy11. But, there's bad news too. Bangladesh does worse than average in its smoking rate35 (still low for Asia) and in its adolescent birth rate22 (one of the worst in Asia). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Bangladesh improved steadily by +16.8yrs in the 30 years from 1990, over double the global average improvement of +7.9yrs.

Bangladesh again failed to address its decades-long problem of arsenic in drinking water, with the World Health Organization estimating that 40 million peoplein the country are affected by arsenic poisoning. [...] In 2017, the government finally began to relocate about a third of the approximately 300 tanneries out of Hazaribagh, a residential area of Dhaka, to a dedicated industrial zone in Savar just outside the capital. The tanneries produce environmentally hazardous waste containing chemicals such as sulfur, ammonium, and chromium. However, many continue to operate [and the government announced delays to their relocation]

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)36

Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
88Dominican Rep.72.6
89Oman72.5
90Belarus72.4
91Bangladesh72.4
92Peru72.4
93Syria72.1
94Armenia72.0
95Libya71.9
Asia Avg73.48
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Alcohol Consumption
Lower is better
32
Pos.2016
Per Capita32
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
4Mauritania0.0
5Somalia0.0
6Yemen0.1
7=Afghanistan0.2
7=Saudi Arabia0.2
9Syria0.3
10=Pakistan0.3
11Kiribati0.4
12=Iraq0.4
Asia Avg3.9
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
13
Pos.201313
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
...
21New Zealand2.15
22Azerbaijan2.16
23Chile1.84
24Bangladesh2.16
25Belgium1.83
26Algeria2.17
27Oman2.17
28Argentina2.18
Asia Avg2.46
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Smoking Rates
Lower is better
35
Pos.201435
1Guinea 15
2Solomon Islands 26
3Kiribati 28
...
99Cambodia 645
100Equatorial Guinea 649
101Singapore 652
102Bangladesh 665
103Morocco 671
104New Zealand 680
105Kyrgyzstan 68337
106Qatar 698
Asia Avg1 035
World Avg 819
q=182.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Sweden1
2Ireland2
3Denmark3
...
29Greece29
30Nicaragua30
31Armenia31
32Bangladesh32
33Hungary33
34Macedonia34
35India35
36Fiji36
Asia Avg64.4
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Overweight Adults
Lower is better38
Pos.2016
%38
1Vietnam18.3
2India19.7
3Bangladesh20.0
4Ethiopia20.9
5Nepal21.0
6Timor-Leste (E. Timor)21.6
7Cambodia21.7
8=Niger22.0
8=Eritrea22.0
10Burundi22.2
11Uganda22.4
12Afghanistan23.0
Asia Avg44.3
World Avg49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate
Lower is better
22
Pos.2015
Per 100022
1N. Korea0.5
2S. Korea1.6
3Switzerland2.9
...
147Mauritania78.6
148Venezuela79.4
149Guatemala80.7
150Bangladesh83.0
151Benin83.2
152Iraq84.0
153Sao Tome & Principe84.3
154Guyana88.0
Asia Avg29.9
World Avg47.9
q=185.
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015
Higher is better
34
Pos.2015
Avg %34
1=Hungary99.0
1=China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
...
77Norway94.3
78Bolivia94.2
79=UAE94.0
79=Bangladesh94.0
79=Tanzania94.0
79=Germany94.0
83Lithuania93.9
84Estonia93.9
Asia Avg90.5
World Avg88.3
q=194.

6. Bangladesh's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #food #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Asia (2023)39
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank39
1Japan33.2
2Philippines45.0
3Sri Lanka49.0
4Maldives55.0
5Jordan56.5
6N. Korea57.5
7Indonesia62.4
8S. Korea62.8
9Bangladesh67.0
10=India68.6
11Lebanon68.8
12=Nepal68.8
13Armenia69.5
Asia Avg88.8
q=51.
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)39
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank39
1Japan33.2
2Philippines45.0
3Uruguay48.0
...
45=Egypt66.6
45=Austria66.6
47Brazil66.8
48Bangladesh67.0
49Finland67.4
50=India68.6
50=Hungary68.6
52Lebanon68.8
World Avg85.7
q=188.
When it comes to its responsibility towards the environment, Bangladesh is 48th in the world. This rank is calculated from 7 data sets. Bangladesh comes in the best 20 in terms of annual meat consumption per person40 (the lowest in Asia) and in energy to GDP efficiency41. It does better than average when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population42 and in how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity. Bangladesh still has work to do. Bangladesh does worse than average in its forested percent change 1990-201543. It falls into the worst-performing 20 when it comes to its score on the Green Future Index44 (one of the worst in Asia). And finally, it is second-from-the-bottom in its environmental performance45.

Forest Area Change 1990-2015
Higher is better
43
Pos.2015
%43
1Iceland+205.6
2Bahrain+144.4
3Uruguay+131.3
...
116Kazakhstan-03.3
117S. Korea-03.9
118Sao Tome & Principe-04.3
119Bangladesh-04.4
120Ecuador-04.4
121Burundi-04.5
122Antigua & Barbuda-04.9
123Congo, DR-04.9
Asia Avg+07.0
World Avg+02.8
q=184.
Environmental Performance
Higher is better
45
Pos.201845
1Switzerland87.4
2France84.0
3Denmark81.6
...
173Lesotho33.8
174Haiti33.7
175Madagascar33.7
176Nepal31.4
177India30.6
178Congo, DR30.4
179Bangladesh29.6
180Burundi27.4
Asia Avg54.5
World Avg56.4
q=180.
Energy to GDP Efficiency
Higher is better41
Pos.201441
1Hong Kong26.32
2Sri Lanka20.00
3Panama17.86
...
15=Costa Rica13.51
15=Philippines13.51
17Luxembourg13.33
18=Bangladesh13.16
18=Italy13.16
20Cyprus12.99
21Morocco12.66
22=Albania12.50
Asia Avg09.14
World Avg09.29
q=119.
Convention on Biological Diversity
Earlier is better
Pos.0
Signed
1=China1993 Dec 29
1=Guinea1993 Dec 29
1=Cook Islands1993 Dec 29
...
54Ethiopia1994 Jul 04
55Dominica1994 Jul 05
56Italy1994 Jul 14
57Bangladesh1994 Aug 01
58Luxembourg1994 Aug 07
59=Georgia1994 Aug 31
59=Egypt1994 Aug 31
61UK1994 Sep 01
Asia Avg1899 Dec 30
World Avg1899 Dec 30
q=197.
Rational Beliefs on the Environment
Higher is better42
Pos.2011
%42
1Argentina78.3%
2Greece77.6%
3Brazil77.1%
...
22Madagascar62.8%
23Uruguay62.4%
24Angola62.4%
25Bangladesh61.5%
26Mali60.7%
27Venezuela60.1%
28Morocco60.0%
29Malta57.3%
Asia Avg37.9%
World Avg39.9%
q=145.
Meat Consumption
Lower is better
40
Pos.2021
kg40
1Congo, DR03.0
2Burundi03.5
3Bangladesh04.3
4Madagascar05.4
5India05.7
6Nigeria07.0
7Ethiopia07.1
8Rwanda07.6
9Mali07.8
10Niger08.1
11Afghanistan08.7
12Uganda09.4
Asia Avg46.7
World Avg52.5
q=185.

In the 2010s, Bangladesh had the 3rd-lowest meat consumption per person in the world, after Burundi and Congo DR.40

Green Future Index
Higher is better44
Pos.2023
Score44
1Iceland6.7
2Finland6.7
3Norway6.4
...
69=Guatemala3.6
69=Russia3.6
71Paraguay3.6
72Bangladesh3.5
73Qatar3.4
74Zambia3.3
75Algeria3.1
76Iran2.6
Asia Avg4.3
World Avg4.8
q=76.

7. Bangladesh's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #it_security #modernity #religion #religiosity #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2020)46
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank46
1Taiwan10.0
2Japan21.9
3=S. Korea24.0
...
40Turkmenistan105.3
41Nepal110.8
42Bhutan112.3
43Bangladesh112.9
44Laos115.2
45Iraq121.8
46Syria123.5
47Myanmar (Burma)127.0
48Timor-Leste (E. Timor)129.0
Asia Avg79.0
q=51.
Modernity & Learning (2020)46
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank46
1Finland8.4
2Taiwan10.0
3Switzerland15.1
...
148Guatemala111.7
149Bhutan112.3
150Rwanda112.3
151Bangladesh112.9
152Suriname114.4
153Laos115.2
154Cape Verde116.3
155Vanuatu117.0
World Avg83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Secondary Education
Higher is better
47
Pos.201847
1=Luxembourg100.0%
1=Estonia100.0%
1=Austria100.0%
...
116Paraguay47.8%
117Nicaragua47.5%
118Maldives47.1%
119Bangladesh46.7%
120St Lucia46.0%
121Thailand44.8%
122Zambia44.3%
123El Salvador42.8%
Asia Avg66.0%
World Avg63.0%
q=169.
Length of Schooling
Higher is better
48
Pos.2021
Years48
1Australia21.1
2New Zealand20.3
3Greece20.0
...
126Cape Verde12.6
127Guyana12.5
128Uzbekistan12.5
129Bangladesh12.4
130Samoa12.4
131Congo, (Brazzaville)12.3
132San Marino12.3
133Botswana12.3
Asia Avg13.5
World Avg13.5
q=193.
Intellectual Endeavours
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
...
127Kuwait127
128Vietnam128
129Azerbaijan129
130Bangladesh130
131Mongolia131
132Haiti132
133Botswana133
134Suriname134
Asia Avg97.1
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Religiosity
Lower is better
49
Pos.2018
%49
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
71=Dominican Rep.78
71=Iran78
71=Tunisia78
74Bangladesh80
75=India80
76Iraq82
77=El Salvador85
77=Jordan85
Asia Avg55.8
World Avg54.3
q=106.
IQ
Higher is better50
Pos.200650
1=Hong Kong108
1=Singapore108
3S. Korea106
...
90=Oman83
90=Syria83
92India82
93=Bangladesh82
93=Lebanon82
93=Dominican Rep.82
93=Madagascar82
97Egypt81
Asia Avg90.4
World Avg85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users
Higher is better
51
Pos.201651
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
...
164Laos16%
165Namibia16%
166Turkmenistan15%
167Bangladesh13%
168Iraq13%
169Kiribati13%
170Rwanda12%
171Mali12%
Asia Avg48.7%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.
IT Security
Lower is better
52
Pos.201352
1=Ireland0.11
1=Luxembourg0.11
1=Belize0.11
...
74Sri Lanka1.67
75Oman1.72
76Iraq1.84
77Bangladesh1.87
78Sudan1.98
79India2.10
80Russia2.42
81USA3.68
Asia Avg1.08
World Avg0.98
IPv6 Uptake
Higher is better
53
Pos.2017
Ratio53
1Belgium55.4
2Germany41.8
3Switzerland35.1
...
105=Laos0.0
105=Malta0.0
105=Turkmenistan0.0
105=Bangladesh0.0
105=Qatar0.0
105=Kuwait0.0
105=Guernsey0.0
105=Bahamas0.0
Asia Avg2.11
World Avg3.82
q=176.

8. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

World Giving Index
Higher is better
54
Pos.2022
%54
1Indonesia68.0
2Kenya61.0
3USA59.0
...
97=Kazakhstan34.0
97=Gabon34.0
97=Taiwan34.0
100Bangladesh33.0
101=Tanzania33.0
102Spain32.0
103=Benin32.0
103=Jordan32.0
Asia Avg37.9
World Avg39.6
q=125.
Corruption
Higher is better
55
Pos.2022
Points55
1Denmark90.0
2=Finland87.0
2=New Zealand87.0
...
145Cameroon26.0
146=Uganda26.0
147Guinea25.0
148=Bangladesh25.0
148=Iran25.0
150Central African Rep.24.0
151=Lebanon24.0
151=Guatemala24.0
Asia Avg39.98
World Avg42.98
q=180.

In the 1990s, Bangladesh was only included in the Corruption Perception Index data in 1996, where it came 4th-worst. When CPI data collection resumed in 2001, Bangladesh immediately took the worst spot, pushing Nigeria to 2nd-worst. Things improved from 2006 onwards, and overall thoughout the 2000s, Bangladesh improved its CPI more than any other country except Qatar.

Happiness
Higher is better
56
Pos.2018
Score56
1Finland7.6
2Norway7.6
3Denmark7.6
...
112Albania4.6
113Sierra Leone4.6
114Congo, (Brazzaville)4.6
115Bangladesh4.5
116Sri Lanka4.5
117Iraq4.5
118Mali4.4
119Namibia4.4
Asia Avg5.29
World Avg5.38
q=156.
Creativity & Culture
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
...
127Mozambique127
128Niger128
129Sierra Leone129
130Bangladesh130
131Kazakhstan131
132Guinea132
133Timor-Leste (E. Timor)133
134Mali134
Asia Avg99.0
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Open Trading, Aid & Development
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Ireland1
2Denmark2
3Sweden3
...
129Sierra Leone129
130Kenya130
131Kazakhstan131
132Bangladesh132
133Indonesia133
134Egypt134
135Uruguay135
136Namibia136
Asia Avg86.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.

9. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index
Lower is better
57
Pos.2023
Score57
1Iceland1.12
2Denmark1.31
3Ireland1.31
...
85=Angola2.02
86Uzbekistan2.03
87Guinea-Bissau2.05
88=Bangladesh2.05
88=Rwanda2.05
90Ivory Coast2.05
91Tanzania2.06
92Thailand2.06
Asia Avg2.17
World Avg2.07
q=163.
Peacekeeping & Security
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Samoa1
2S. Africa2
3Tunisia3
...
84Serbia84
85Mexico85
86Cambodia86
87Bangladesh87
88Honduras88
89Namibia89
90Uganda90
91Congo, DR91
Asia Avg76.0
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Refugees & UN Treaties
Lower is better
33
Pos.2017
Rank33
1Austria1
2Germany2
3Netherlands3
...
56Lithuania56
57Ukraine57
58Croatia58
59Bangladesh59
60Seychelles60
61Philippines61
62Indonesia62
63Uganda63
Asia Avg92.2
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Impact of Terrorism
Lower is better
58
Pos.2019
Score58
1Togo0.00
2Mongolia0.00
3Swaziland0.00
...
117Nepal5.09
118Burundi5.10
119Palestine5.18
120Bangladesh5.21
121Saudi Arabia5.24
122Ethiopia5.35
123UK5.41
124Burkina Faso5.42
Asia Avg3.60
World Avg2.78
q=150.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy
Lower is better59
Pos.201959
1Iceland2.40
2=Singapore2.50
2=Hong Kong2.50
...
121Sao Tome & Principe17.00
122Bhutan17.10
123=Venezuela17.10
124Bangladesh17.30
125Nepal17.50
126Cambodia18.10
127Guyana19.00
128S. Africa19.20
Asia Avg11.80
World Avg14.59
q=184.
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient)
Lower is better60
Pos.2017
%60
1Ukraine25.0
2=Belarus25.4
2=Slovenia25.4
...
33Japan32.1
34=Mongolia32.3
34=Switzerland32.3
36Bangladesh32.4
37Mauritania32.6
38=France32.7
38=Estonia32.7
40Nepal32.8
Asia Avg35.2
World Avg38.1
q=152.
Multidimensional Poverty
Lower is better61
Pos.2018
Severity61
1Armenia.001
2Ukraine.001
3Serbia.001
...
63Myanmar (Burma).176
64Kenya.178
65Comoros.181
66Bangladesh.198
67Pakistan.198
68Haiti.200
69Timor-Leste (E. Timor).210
70Ivory Coast.236
Asia Avg.084
World Avg.154
q=101.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)49
Pos.Lower is better
%49
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
71=Dominican Rep.78
71=Iran78
71=Tunisia78
74Bangladesh80
75=India80
76Iraq82
77=El Salvador85
77=Jordan85
79Palestine86
80=Uganda86
80=Chad86
80=Niger86
83Kenya87
84=Mozambique87
85Congo, DR88
86=Nigeria88
World Avg54.3
q=106.
Disbelief In God (2007)62
Pos.Higher is better
%62
1Vietnam81
2Japan65
3Sweden64
...
97=Benin0
97=Tunisia0
97=Uganda0
97=Bangladesh0
97=UAE0
97=Azerbaijan0
97=Algeria0
97=Yemen0
97=Zambia0
97=Tanzania0
97=Malaysia0
97=Haiti0
97=Iraq0
97=Guinea0
97=Ghana0
97=Jordan0
World Avg9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below63:

Christian0.2%
Muslim89.8%
Hindu9.1%
Buddhist0.5%
Folk Religion0.4%
Jewish0.1%
Unaffiliated0.1%

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 100% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 80% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Muslim 89.5%, Hindu 9.6%, other 0.9% (2004)64.

When it comes to religious freedom and persecution, sociologists Grim & Finke place Bangladesh into the worst category, along with just 13 other countries. In this category, severe restrictions on religious freedom and freedom of belief stem simultaneously from top-down pressure from government and institutionalized religion, and from bottom-up grassroots movements that often go even further than the government in harrassing those who do not believe the right things (2011)65. The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)66, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Bangladesh states:

The constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief. An amendment to the constitution passed in 2011 established Islam as the state religion yet reaffirmed the country is a "secular state".

Section 295A of the penal code states that any person who has "deliberate" or "malicious" intent to "hurt religious sentiments" can be imprisoned. Similarly, the Code of Criminal Procedure includes several clauses (99a-f) that states "the government may confiscate all copies of a newspaper if it publishes anything subversive of the state or provoking an uprising or anything that creates enmity and hatred among the citizens or denigrates religious beliefs."

Cases of Discrimination

On Jan. 4, 2012, the principal of a technical college, Yunus Ali, was arrested for keeping a copy of Taslima Nasrin's book Shame in the school library. The book tells the story of a Hindu family persecuted in Bangladesh. It was deemed blasphemous and banned by the Bangladeshi government in 1993 and Dr. Nasrin was forced to flee abroad to escape blasphemy charges and death threats.

On March 21, 2012, the Dhaka High Court ordered five Facebook pages and a website to be shut down after Dhaka University professors claimed the pages contained remarks and cartoons about the Prophet Muhammad, the Holy Qu'ran, Jesus, Buddha, and the Hindu Gods that insulted religious sentiments.

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)67

Threats, violence and mob attacks have led to the murder and harassment of religious minorities and indigenous groups (i.e., non-Muslims).

Sporadic attacks and threats against religious minorities continued in 2017. In mid-November, a mob of nearly 20,000 looted and burned down over 30 homes in the majority-Hindu Thakurpara village in Rangpur Sadar, in response to rumors that a villager had published a Facebook post defaming the Prophet Muhammad.

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)68

The Murders of Freethinkers from 2013 Onwards:

Since 2013 in Bangladesh a horrible spate of killings of freethinkers, secularists and liberals has occurred69. It began with a march of tens of thousands of Muslims on the capital, demanding that the government itself increase censorship of "anti-Muslim" content. Students, community leaders and University professors alike have been hacked to death with machetes as a result of putting content online that is pro-science, pro-secularist, anti-war crimes, or which advocate LGBT tolerance. One extremist group openly published a list of 84 of their targets and in 2016 Apr the rate of murders increased to one a week. The Bangladesh government has done very little to curb the extremists. Murders for blasphemy against Islam do not just occur in Muslim counties; there is a long and unfortunate history of the same occurring in Europe and elsewhere - Theo van Gogh was killed in Amsterdam by a Dutch Moroccan Muslim for making a film criticizing Islam's attitude towards women.

"Blasphemy and Censorship: In Christianity and Islam: 4.1. Islam: Blasphemy and Censorship" by Vexen Crabtree (2012)

Links: