The brand value of Bangladesh as a nation has been rising gradually. This reflects the country's socio-economic vibrancy.
After 46 years of the independence, Bangladesh is now 44th most valuable nation brand in the world.
The 'Nation Brands 2017' report, released in October by London-based Brand Finance, showed that the nation brand value of the country has reached $208 billion in the current year, which was worth $170 billion in 2016.
Thus, Bangladesh's nation brand value has increased by 22 per cent within a year, according to the report.
Brand Finance, the world's leading independent branded business valuation and strategy consultancy, also showed that the nation brand value of Bangladesh is much higher than that of Pakistan, which celebrated 70 years of its independence this year.
In 2011, Pakistan's country brand value was worth $54 billion, while that of Bangladesh was $47 billion. But in the next six years, Bangladesh overtook Pakistan in a wide margin.
Pakistan's nation brand value was worth $128 billion in 2016, which increased to $171 billion this year, as per the latest count.
On December 16, 1971, Bangladesh achieved its final victory over oppressive Pakistani occupation forces. During the nine-month war of liberation, which started on March 26 in the same year, millions of people of the then East Pakistan took shelter in India as refugees to escape persecution by the Pakistani army.
The occupation forces and their collaborators then killed three million people and violated an estimated two hundred thousand women.
After the independence, Bangladesh had to go through a prolonged struggle for rebuilding the nation. Natural calamity and disaster along with global shocks and internal political turmoil made the journey difficult and complex.
Nevertheless, 46 years after emerging as a sovereign country Bangladesh now outstrips Pakistan in most of the socio-economic indicators. In some indicators, the country is even doing better than India.
India's nation brand value has declined to $2,046 billion in the current year from $2,066 billion in 2016, and the country dropped to 8th most valuable nation brand from 7th position a year back.
