On the index for year 2014 released on Thursday, Bangladesh has been placed at the 142nd position among 187 countries. Last year, it was ranked 143rd.



The UN has also placed it among 18 countries making the fastest progress in human development.



UNDP publishes the annual assessment based on life expectancy, literacy, education and per capita income.



This year, the UNDP has also introduced a Gender Development Index.



The 2014 HDI report said Bangladesh had scored 0.558 on the index with 70.7 years of life expectancy at birth, average per capita education of 5.1 years and $2,713 per capita gross national income (GNI).



The African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe was also ranked 142nd. Norway, which is on top of this ranking as usual, has scored 0.944.



The newly introduced Gender Development Index (GDI) compares the HDI calculated separately for women and men. Bangladesh has been ranked 107th in this index.



The GDI shows that Bangladesh has made the maximum progress in South Asia in reducing gender discrimination.



In the HDI rankings, Sri Lanka is ahead of the rest of South Asia at 73.



India, Bhutan and Maldives are also ahead of Bangladesh while Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Myanmar are behind.



At the bottom of the rank is the Republic of Niger, which has slipped one notch since last year.