Tk 1.46t bribes paid in service sectors in 15 years: TIB

Service-seekers in Bangladesh paid an estimated Tk 1.46 trillion in bribes between 2009 and April 2024 to access essential services, according to a new survey by the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).
This period corresponds to the tenure of the previous Awami League government.
Some 70.9 per cent of households experienced corruption while accessing services from various public and private sectors or institutions in 2023, the survey titled "Corruption in Service Sectors: National Household Survey 2023" revealed.
The findings were unveiled at a press conference held at the TIB headquarters in the capital on Tuesday. The survey revealed passport is the most corruption-prone service sector, with 86 per cent of households reporting irregularities.
According to the TIB, the estimated Tk 1.46 trillion in bribes or unauthorised payments was calculated based on findings from six national household surveys conducted in 2010, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2021, and 2023. Since 1997, the TIB has conducted 10 national household surveys, with the latest one in 2023.
The 2023 survey identified passport (86 per cent) as the most corrupt sector, followed by Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) (85.2 per cent), law enforcement agencies (74.5 per cent), judicial services (62.3 per cent), land services (51 per cent), public healthcare (49.1 per cent), and local government institutions (44.2 per cent).
It showed that overall, 50.8 per cent of households reported paying bribes or being forced to pay unauthorised money to access services.
The highest incidence of bribery was reported in passport services (74.8 per cent), followed by BRTA (71.9 per cent), law enforcement agencies (58.3 per cent), judicial services (34.1 per cent), land services (32.3 per cent), and local government institutions (29.7 per cent).
Among the households that paid bribes, 77.2 per cent cited the reason as "services cannot be obtained without paying a bribe", highlighting a concerning institutionalisation of bribery practices.
In this survey, households that had to pay bribes or unauthorised money while availing services from the included sectors/institutions during the period from May 2023 to April 2024 paid an average of Tk 5,680 per household.
Among the sectors/institutions receiving the highest bribe or unauthorised payment, judicial services (Tk 30,972 on average per household), land services (Tk 11,776 on average per household), banking services (Tk 6,681 on average per household), and BRTA services (Tk 6,654 on average per household) were prominent.
During the reference period of the survey, the estimated total amount of bribes or unauthorised money transacted across all included sectors/institutions was approximately Tk 109.02 billion, which is 1.4 per cent of the national budget (revised) for the 2023-24 fiscal year and 0.2 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
The survey said the impact of bribes and unauthorised payments is comparatively high on low-income households.
Households with a monthly income below Tk 24,000 spend 0.93 per cent of their annual income on bribes, whereas for households with a monthly income exceeding Tk 85,000, the amount drops to 0.21 per cent.
The survey also revealed that corruption and bribery experienced by women, religious minorities, indigenous peoples, and individuals with disabilities create an additional burden on their limited socioeconomic capabilities, exacerbating their marginalisation.
Most respondents identified impunity, lack of social awareness, and rewarding corrupt individuals as the main reasons for corruption.
Meanwhile, 77.2 per cent of households who were victims of bribery stated that they had to pay bribes because "services cannot be obtained without paying bribes".
The fear of procedural complexities and harassment leads to a noticeable reluctance among households to file complaints despite being victims of corruption.
Regarding the process/mechanism for lodging complaints, the majority (59.6 per cent) of households have no idea about it, while those who do (40.4 per cent) know have very limited knowledge, particularly about the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Grievance Redress System (GRS).
Speaking at the event, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said the survey highlighted the pervasive nature of corruption in both government and certain private service sectors.
He called for systemic reforms to address the structural issues enabling bribery and irregularities, emphasising the need for greater accountability and transparency in service delivery.
The survey was conducted among 15,515 households, representing a diverse cross-section of the population.
The TIB said legal actions must be taken against individuals involved in corruption within service sectors. In this regard, the ACC, as well as the relevant departments and institutions, should play an active role where applicable, it added.

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