In accordance with the World Bank’s ‘Ease of Doing Business index’, Bangladesh has gone one notch down to rank 177th amongst 190 countries.

Bangladesh holds 177th position among 190 economies while it ranked 176th last year going two notches up from the previous year.

South Asia’s region’s top ranked economies are Bhutan, in 75th place, India (100), and Nepal (105).

Pakistan, which implemented four reforms in the past year, also made it easier to register a new business, transfer commercial property and facilitate cross border trade.

Bhutan, the region’s top-ranked economy, also implemented four reforms to make it easier to register a new business, improve access to credit, and enhance the enforcement of contracts, while Sri Lanka has progressed in making exporting and importing easier by initiating a customs single window.

No reforms were recorded in Bangladesh or Afghanistan where, instead, Starting a Business was made more costly. Afghanistan also imposes an additional procedure for women to register a business.

The Ease of Doing Business report is based on how easy it is for companies to do business as well takes in account certain regulations based on ten parameters including starting a business, getting electricity, dealing with construction permits and paying taxes among others.