Bangladesh has slipped a notch in the World Press Freedom Index as the country ranked 163 among 180 nations and territories in the 2023 report published today by the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day.

Bangladesh got a score of 35.31 in the 2023 index, whereas it scored slightly higher at 36.63 last year.

In the index of 2021, Bangladesh's position was 152nd with a score of 50.29; it ranked 151 in the 2020 index.

The country ranked the lowest among its neighbouring countries, most of which also saw press freedom erode. India dropped to 161, while Pakistan stood at 150, Sri Lanka rose to 135 from 146 last year, Afghanistan at 152, Nepal fell to 95 from 76 last year, and Bhutan slipped from 95 from 33 last year.

Norway tops the index with 95.18 points for the seventh time in a row, followed by Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Lithuania, Estonia, Portugal and Timor-Leste occupying the top ten spots.

The United States stands at 45 with a score of 71.22.

Russia was placed at 164, much lower from its 155th position last year, while China dropped by four positions, coming at 179th this year.

North Korea holds the last position with a score of 21.72.

More than a fifth of the 168 million Bangladeshis live below the poverty line and have little access to mainstream media. The internet plays a growing role in the circulation of news and information, according to the Reporters Without Borders.

In the political context, the Reporters Without Borders said, "Bangladesh's successive governments have treated the media as a communication tool.

"The Digital Security Act (DSA) is one of the world's most draconian laws for journalists. It permits searches and arrests without any form of warrant, violation of the confidentiality of journalists' sources for arbitrary reasons, and a sentence of up to 14 years in prison for any journalist who posts content deemed to be "negative propaganda against (...) the Father of the Nation," namely the current prime minister's father. In this legislative environment, editors routinely censor themselves," the index further said.

In terms of media safety, the Reporters Without Borders said, "The DSA is often used to keep journalists and bloggers in prison, in appalling conditions. And in a profession that is still predominantly male, women journalists are exposed to a deeply rooted culture of harassment and are subjected to online hate campaigns when they try to defend their rights."