Bangladesh named The Economist's country of the year for 2024

The British publication says the transition from a 15-year autocratic rule has so far been encouraging

Bangladesh has been crowned 'country of the year' by The Economist ahead of contenders like Syria, Argentina, South Africa, and Poland.

Each December, the British publication bestows this title not based on wealth, happiness, or inherent traits, but on the most significant strides made over the past year.

This year, Bangladesh emerged as the winner, with Syria as the runner-up, according to inputs from The Economist's correspondents.

Praising Bangladesh’s political transformation, The Economist wrote:

"Our winner is Bangladesh, which also overthrew an autocrat. In August student-led street protests forced out Sheikh Hasina, who had ruled the country of 175m for 15 years.

"A daughter of an independence hero, she once presided over swift economic growth. But she became repressive, rigging elections, jailing opponents and ordering the security forces to shoot protesters. Huge sums of money were stolen on her watch.

The publication acknowledged Bangladesh’s turbulent history of political transitions, often marred by "vengeful violence".

"The main opposition party, the BNP, is venal. Islamic extremism is a threat. Yet the transition has so far been encouraging. 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."

Looking ahead, The Economist emphasised the challenges Bangladesh faces. Before holding elections, the country must rebuild its relationship with India by 2025, ensure judicial impartiality, and allow the opposition to organise. Achieving these goals, the publication warned, will be far from easy.