Tk 12,633 crore exchanged in bribes within service sectors during interim govt's one year: TIB

A total of Tk 12,633.20 crore was exchanged in bribes across various service sectors in the country over a one-year period from November 2024 to October 2025. Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) revealed this data during a presentation of the findings from its survey titled 'Corruption in Service Sectors: National Household Survey 2025' in Dhanmondi, Dhaka on Thursday morning. The organization noted that the survey primarily analyzes the state of corruption during the tenure of the interim government.

Using the sampling frame of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the survey found that people suffered the most from bribery and corruption while seeking services from the Passport Office and the BRTA. In these two sectors, 76.6% and 63.5% of households, respectively, fell victim to corruption. Law enforcement agencies, agriculture, land, and judiciary-related services followed closely behind.

TIB conducted the survey in a two-stage random sampling method, selecting 1,149 areas across rural and urban settings in the country's eight divisions. The survey highlights the state of 18 specific service sectors. TIB previously conducted this survey in 2023.

Overall, the average bribe per household decreased by nearly 10% compared to 2023, standing at Tk 5,124. However, 81.5% of the surveyed households believe that it is difficult to receive services without paying a bribe. Although rural households faced a higher rate of bribery compared to urban ones (66% versus 58.5%), urban households had to pay higher amounts in terms of monetary value.

Despite falling victim to corruption, 61.3% of the households did not lodge any complaints. According to them, the entire system is corrupt. Furthermore, nearly half of the households have no idea about the procedure for filing a complaint. Participants in the survey believe that impunity and the lack of punishment for those involved are the primary reasons for corruption.

Although digital services have been introduced in various sectors, they have not been fully effective in curbing corruption due to a reliance on brokers or middlemen. TIB stated that this situation is becoming increasingly difficult for low-income families, as well as for women, indigenous communities, and people with disabilities.