Recently, a widespread claim has been circulating online suggesting that the interim government has elevated Bangladesh from 123rd to 47th place among the world's most powerful countries in just eight months. Rumor Scanner has found this to be false.

Fact-Check

According to the investigation conducted by the Rumor Scanner team, the assertion that the interim government has transformed Bangladesh into the 47th most powerful country within eight months, or that it has dropped from 40th to 47th during this time, is inaccurate. This ranking was based on a survey conducted during the tenure of the previous Awami League government between March 22 and May 23, 2024, and was published in September of the same year. Therefore, the current interim government's activities are not connected to the ranking in any way.

Upon further investigation, it was found that the source of this claim was a website named US News. A keyword search confirmed that US News is a US-based media company that has, for several years, regularly published rankings and analyses across various categories. The ranking currently being discussed shows that Bangladesh holds the 71st position overall among 89 countries, while in the "Power" category, its position is shown as 47th.
Rumor Scanner verified that this list was neither published recently nor in the current year. It was published on September 10, 2024, based on survey data collected between March 22 and May 23, 2024. Hence, the latest ranking available on the US News website is based on a survey conducted during the previous Awami League government's tenure.

An analysis of past archives of the US News website by Rumor Scanner revealed that the website typically publishes these rankings each September, based on surveys conducted between April and July of that year.
For instance, the 2023 ranking was published on September 6, based on a survey conducted from March 17 to June 12. In that survey, which included 87 countries, Bangladesh ranked 40th in the "Power" category and 69th overall.

Similarly, the 2022 ranking was published on September 27, based on a survey conducted from April 30 to July 13. Among 85 countries, Bangladesh held the 44th position in the "Power" category and 71st overall.
These data clearly show that the 2025 ranking has not yet been published by US News. Based on their regular publication schedule, it is expected to be released in September this year.

The claim that Bangladesh rose from 123rd to 47th is also unfounded. Archive analysis of the US News website by Rumor Scanner reveals that Bangladesh was first included in the ranking in 2022. The number of countries included in the rankings since then has been 85 in 2022, 87 in 2023, and 89 in 2024. At no point has the ranking included 123 countries, making the claim that Bangladesh was once ranked 123rd entirely baseless.

Rumor Scanner also sought to understand the context behind the sudden discussion surrounding the September 2024 ranking. It appears that the first post making this claim was shared on February 10 by a Facebook page named "Asian SEA Story," citing US News and presenting it as the 2025 ranking. The issue gained traction when an X account named "Global Statistics" reposted the same content on the night of April 6.

Additionally, the claim that Bangladesh fell from 40th to 47th within eight months traces back to a list published by Ceoworld Magazine on April 4, 2024. That list, which included 142 powerful countries, placed Bangladesh at 40th. This list was also published during the previous Awami League government’s tenure. The confusion appears to stem from comparing this ranking with a separate 47th-place ranking from a different website.

Therefore, both claims—either that Bangladesh reached 47th in eight months or that it fell to 47th from 40th during this period—are false.

Original News Source: https://rumorscanner.com/fact-check/bangladesh-47th-powerful-country-credit-interim-gov-false/145274