Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has estimated that Bangladeshis paid around Tk12,633 crore in bribes for public services over a one-year period, with passport services remaining the country’s most corruption-prone sector despite expectations of governance reforms under the interim government.
The findings were unveiled on Thursday in TIB’s Corruption in Service Sectors: National Household Survey 2025, which assessed corruption in 18 public service sectors between November 2024 and October 2025.
According to the survey, 76.6% of passport service recipients reported paying bribes -- the highest among all sectors -- followed by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) at 63.5%.
Law enforcement, agriculture, land administration and judicial services also recorded high levels of bribery.
Overall, 81.5% of surveyed households said obtaining public services without paying bribes remains difficult.
Although the average amount paid in bribes per household fell by about 10% from 2023 to Tk5,124, TIB estimated that the nationwide volume of bribery rose to Tk12,633.2 crore during the survey period.
The survey, conducted across 1,149 rural and urban locations in all eight divisions using the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics’ sampling framework, found that corruption has either increased or remained persistently high in key sectors including passport services, BRTA, law enforcement, agriculture, land, education and health.
The report also found that 61.3% of corruption victims did not file complaints, with many believing the entire system is corrupt.
Nearly half of the respondents said they did not know where or how to report corruption. While almost one-third were aware of the Anti-Corruption Commission, only 1.4% knew about the government’s Grievance Redress System.
TIB identified impunity, weak accountability and the perception that corrupt officials benefit rather than face punishment as the main drivers of corruption.
The survey further showed that rural households were more likely to pay bribes than urban households, 66% compared with 58.5%, although city residents paid larger amounts on average.
Low-income families bore a disproportionate burden relative to their earnings, while women, indigenous communities and persons with disabilities faced greater difficulties in accessing services.
The report also noted that despite the expansion of digital services, corruption has not declined significantly, as many citizens continue to rely on brokers and intermediaries to obtain public services.