Online Desk  :  Bangladesh has been named the ‘County of the year for 2024’ by The Economist, a London-based prestigious magazine. Every year, The Economist chooses one country that has shown the most remarkable improvement over the past year and this year Bangladesh was given the honour.  Besides, Syria was the runner-up after ousting its autocrat, Bashar al-Assad. Argentina earned recognition for economic reforms, while South Africa and Poland were praised for rejecting ‘bad government’ and forming new administrations. The magazine made the announcement on its website on (Thursday) December 19. The Economist clarified that the accolade is not about being the richest, happiest, or most virtuous country, but about making significant strides in the last 12 months.The report lauded Bangladesh for its political transformation in 2024. It noted, “Our winner is Bangladesh, which overthrew an autocrat this year”.

The Economist highlighted that in August, student-led protests forced out Sheikh Hasina, who had ruled the country of 175 million for 15 years. It describe how a daughter of an independence hero, she once presided over swift economic growth, became repressive, rigging elections, jailing opponents and ordering the security forces to shoot protesters. Huge sums of money were stolen on her watch. The report also highlighted the role of a temporary technocratic government stating, “A temporary technocratic government, led by Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel peace prizewinner, is backed by students, the army, business and civil society. It has restored order and stabilised the economy.” Besides, the report acknowledged the challenges Bangladesh faces, including the need to rebuild ties with India and to hold credible elections in 2025.

The Economist says, “In 2025 it will need to repair ties with India and decide when to hold elections—first ensuring that the courts are neutral and the opposition has time to organise. None of this will be easy. But for toppling a despot and taking strides towards a more liberal government, Bangladesh is our country of the year.” Meanwhile, in 2023, the prize was given to Greece for dragging itself out of a long financial crisis and re-electing a sensible centrist government. Other notable winners include Colombia (for ending a decades-long civil war), Ukraine (for resisting an unprovoked invasion), and Malawi (for democratising).