Bangladesh has achieved the world's highest improvement in internet civic freedoms for the second consecutive year, although concerns regarding media freedom remain, according to a new report.
The findings were highlighted in the 'Freedom on the Net 2026' report published on Thursday by the Washington-based research organization Freedom House. The evaluation is based on the 12-month period from June 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026.
According to the report, Bangladesh scored 50 out of 100 in internet civic freedom this year. In the previous two years, the scores were 40 and 45, respectively. Despite consecutive years of progress, citizens in Bangladesh are still classified as 'partly free' in their internet usage.
The report reviewed the state of internet freedom across 38 countries. Of Bangladesh's five-point improvement, four points stemmed from increased internet access, while the remaining one point came from a reduction in restrictions on online content.
While global internet freedom has declined for the 16th consecutive year, the report noted that Bangladesh experienced no nationwide total internet shutdowns over the full year for the first time since 2016. Freedom House attributed this progress to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government during the July mass uprising and the subsequent reform initiatives.
Freedom House's report evaluated the experiences of approximately 71 percent of internet users worldwide, noting that 30.8 percent of these users reside in environments categorized as 'not free' regarding internet freedom.
