32% of citizens pay bribes for govt services: BBS Survey

About 32% of Bangladeshi citizens were forced to pay bribes while accessing government services over the past year, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

The findings, released on Thursday (June 19), are part of the BBS’s "Citizen Perception Survey (CPS) 2024."

The nationwide survey, conducted in February 2024, included 84,807 respondents from 45,888 households. It revealed that 32% of citizens experienced bribery or corruption while dealing with public service institutions—equivalent to one in every three service recipients.

The highest rate of bribery was reported at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), where 63.29% of respondents admitted paying bribes. Law enforcement agencies followed closely at 62.94%, while the passport office (57.45%) and land registration offices (54.92%) also ranked high for corruption.

The survey also assessed citizens' sense of personal safety. While 84.81% said they feel safe walking alone after dark in their neighborhoods, there was a significant gender gap. About 89.53% of men reported feeling safe, compared to only 80% of women—indicating that one in five women does not feel secure alone at night.

On the issue of freedom of political expression, only 27.24% of respondents felt they could openly share their views about the government.

The survey also found that 19.31% of citizens faced some form of discrimination or harassment over the past year, with women being disproportionately affected.

BBS officials noted that the survey provides an important glimpse into public perceptions of corruption, civil rights, security, and political freedom in Bangladesh.