The Economist magazine has named Bangladesh its country of the year. According to the editorial, the country was given this recognition due to a change of power as a result of mass protests.
“In August, student protests led to the resignation of [Prime Minister] Sheikh Hasina, who had ruled the country of 175 million people for 15 years. The daughter of an independence hero, Sheikh Hasina once led a period of rapid economic growth. But she has regressed to repression and election fraud, jailing opponents and ordering security forces to shoot protesters,” the editorial said.
The Economist stressed that the country remains “under threat from Islamic terrorism,” but “the transition process so far has been encouraging.” “The interim technocratic government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus is supported by students, the army, businesses and civil society. It has restored order and stabilized the economy. In 2025, it will need to repair relations with India and decide when to hold elections, guarantee impartiality in the courts and give the opposition time to organize itself,” the magazine noted.
“It won’t be easy. But for toppling a despot and moving toward a more liberal government, Bangladesh has been named our Country of the Year,” the article said. According to the magazine, Argentina, Poland, Syria and South Africa were also among the contenders this year. The Economist has been awarding the Country of the Year title for 12 years, with Greece being named last year’s winner.