Dhaka: Bangladesh has ranked 17^th from the bottom in the Berlin-based Transparency International’s corruption index, notching two points up from the previous year’s 15.

In the new Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2017, Bangladesh has scored 28 out of 100, an increase by two points compared to 26 of CPI 2016.

The index covers 180 countries and territories on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), says the TI study released globally.

Meanwhile, the country also moved up two positions from the top among all the countries as it has ranked 143^rd to last year’s 145 .

Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Dr Iftekharuzzaman unveiled the annual CPI at a press conference in the city on Thursday.

All South Asian countries – Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka—scored more and ranked higher than Bangladesh in CPI 2017 except Afghanistan.

India stands at 81 position from the top with the score of 40 while Pakistan 117 with 32.

Bangladesh was earlier placed at the bottom of the list for five successive years from 2001-2005. In 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, it was ranked 3^rd, 7^th, 10^th, 13^th, and 12^th respectively from the bottom while both in 2011 and 2012,

Bangladesh was ranked 13^th, and in 16^th, 14^th in and 13^th respectively in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

This year’s Corruption Perceptions Index highlights that the majority of countries are making little or no progress in ending corruption, while further analysis shows journalists and activists in corrupt countries risking their lives every day in an effort to speak out.

The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and businesspeople, uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.