Corruption in Bangladesh's public service sector worsened during the interim government period compared with the previous Awami League administration, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said on Thursday, estimating the volume of bribery transactions at Tk 126.33 billion.
The findings were disclosed at a press conference at the organisation's Dhanmondi office, where TIB unveiled its report titled "Corruption in the Service Sector: National Household Survey 2025."
The survey analysed data collected between November 2024 and October 2025 from 1,149 survey clusters selected through random sampling from rural and urban areas across the country's eight divisions.
Passport, BRTA top corruption list as bribery hits Tk 126b
The report examined corruption patterns in 18 service sectors, including law enforcement, land administration, health, agriculture, education, local government institutions, national identity services, banking, taxation, electricity, gas, insurance and disaster relief.
According to the survey, passport services remained the most corruption-prone sector, with 76.6 per cent of service recipients reporting bribery or irregularities. Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) services ranked second with a corruption rate of 63.5 per cent, followed by law enforcement agencies, agriculture, land administration and justice-related services.
TIB estimated that bribery transactions in the service sector amounted to Tk 126.33 billion, equivalent to around 1.58 per cent of the national budget. The organisation said the burden fell disproportionately on poor and vulnerable communities.
The survey found that the average amount of bribe paid per household declined by around 10 per cent compared with 2023, falling to Tk 5,124.
However, 81.5 per cent of respondents said obtaining public services without paying bribes remained difficult, while 61.3 per cent of affected households did not lodge complaints, largely because they believed the entire system was corrupt.
The report also found that nearly half of the respondents were unaware of complaint mechanisms. Although 29.5 per cent of households were familiar with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), only 0.9 per cent had filed complaints with the agency. Awareness of the government's grievance redress system stood at just 1.4 per cent.
TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman expressed concern over what he described as the institutionalisation of bribery in public services, saying many citizens had come to believe that services could not be obtained without unofficial payments.
He said corruption in the service sector had become increasingly discriminatory, disproportionately affecting rural residents, women, indigenous communities and marginalised groups.
According to the survey, 66 per cent of rural households experienced bribery, compared with 58.5 per cent of urban households. However, urban households paid higher amounts on average, while low-income families often paid bribes exceeding their earnings.
The report noted that despite the expansion of digital services, many citizens continued to rely on brokers and intermediaries, allowing opportunities for bribery and rent-seeking practices to persist.
Commenting on the effectiveness of the ACC, Iftekharuzzaman said the low level of public confidence in the anti-graft agency reflected concerns over the absence of accountability and certainty of punishment.
He said the commission had remained largely inactive over the past three to three-and-a-half months and urged the government to expedite its reconstitution by appointing individuals with integrity, professional competence and a strong commitment to combating corruption.
TIB also placed a 10-point set of recommendations before the government, calling for institutional reforms, stronger accountability mechanisms and effective measures to prevent corruption in public service delivery.
