The Transparency International (TIB) findings revealed in household surveys since 2010 show that from 2009 to April 2024, the included service sector institutions have collected an estimated total of Tk 146,252 crore in bribes.
The households that paid bribes or unauthorized money for services from May 2023 to April 2024 spent an average of Tk 5,680 each. The total estimated bribes or unauthorized payments across all sectors during this period amounted to Tk10,902 crore, which is 1.44 percent of the national budget for 2023-24 and 0.22 percent of GDP.
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The passport, BRTA, law enforcement, judiciary, and land sectors were found to be the most corrupt in the service sector, with 70.9 percent of Bangladeshi households reporting corruption between May 2023 and April 2024.
Furthermore, 50.8 percent of households experienced bribery at this time, with law enforcement, BRTA, and passport services having the highest percentages. TIB revealed these findings at a press conference unveiling the “Corruption in Service Sectors: National Household Survey 2023” results.
The survey of 2023 revealed that 70.9 percent of households in Bangladesh has experienced corruption in some form while availing services from various public and private sectors or institutions. Passport services 86 percent were identified as the most corrupt sector, followed by BRTA 85.2 percent, law enforcement agencies 74.5 percent, judicial services 62.3 percent, land services 51 percent, public healthcare 49.1 percent, and local government institutions 44.2 percent. Overall, 50.8 percent of households reported paying bribes or being forced to pay unauthorized money to access services.
The highest incidences of bribery were reported in passport services 74.8 percent, BRTA 71.9 percent, law enforcement agencies 58.3 percent, judicial services 34.1 percent, land services 32.3 percent, and local government institutions 29.7 percent.
Among the households that paid bribes, 77.2 percent cited the reason as “services cannot be obtained without paying a bribe,” highlighting a concerning institutionalization of bribery practices.
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The survey collected data on corruption and harassment encountered by selected households while obtaining services from service sectors between May 2023 and April 2024. Data for this survey were collected between May 13 and August 3, 2024.
