Bangladesh slipped down nine spots in the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2018 compared with that of the last year.
Bangladesh has ranked 93rd out of 163 countries with a global score of 2.084 while in last year its position was 84th with the score of 2.035, according to the latest report of Global Peace Index (GPI) published in London on Wednesday.
In the South Asia region, Bangladesh stood fourth behind Bhutan (1.545), Sri Lanka (1.954) and Nepal (2.053), relegating from last year’s 3rd position.
However, Bangladesh’s position is better than India (2.504), Pakistan (3.079) and Afghanistan (3.585).
The 12th annual ‘Global Peace Index’ prepared by Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), a Sydney-based independent non-profit think tank, scored 163 independent states and territories according to their levels of peacefulness.
Bangladesh had the largest deterioration in South Asia, said the report adding: “Improvements in political stability and terrorism impact failed to offset a rapid fall in external conflicts fought, and neighbouring countries relations, which were adversely affected by the influx of 700,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.”
Myanmar, however, fell 15 places in the rankings and is now ranked 122nd on the GPI.
Meanwhile, the report said the world has become less peaceful in the past year as longstanding global conflicts remain unresolved and the United States and other world powers face political instability.
A total of 92 countries deteriorated while 71 countries improved between 2016 and 2017, according to the report. Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Iraq and Somalia are the least peaceful countries in the world while Iceland, New Zealand, Austria, Portugal and Denmark are the most peaceful countries in the world.
Battle deaths have risen steadily over the last 10 years, increasing by 264 percent, the study finds.
