Passport services remain the most corruption-prone public service sector in Bangladesh, with more than three-quarters of service recipients reporting having to pay bribes, according to a new survey conducted by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).
The findings were revealed on Thursday in TIB’s Corruption in Service Sectors: National Household Survey 2025, unveiled at a press conference held at the organisation’s office in Dhaka.
The survey found that 76.6% of households receiving passport-related services experienced bribery- the highest rate among all sectors covered. The rate was even higher in rural areas, at 79.1%, compared with 71.8% in urban areas.
TIB noted that, as in 2023, passport services remained the sector most vulnerable to corruption and bribery in 2025.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) ranked second, with 63.5% of service recipients reporting that they had paid bribes to obtain services. Law enforcement agencies and agricultural services both recorded bribery rates of 49.3%, while land-related services stood at 47.6%.
Overall, 54.3% of service recipients nationwide reported experiencing some form of corruption, while 33.2% said they had paid bribes.
The survey also examined service delivery methods and found that 99.3% of recipients obtained services through physical visits. Meanwhile, 10.4% used online services through intermediaries involving additional payments, 3.9% accessed services independently online, 3.5% used a combination of paid online services and in-person visits, and 1.1% combined self-managed online applications with physical visits.
According to TIB, compared with 2023, the proportion of households experiencing corruption and bribery in the surveyed service sectors increased by 15.1% and 25.2%, respectively, in 2025. The organisation said the findings suggest that corruption in public services has worsened despite expectations of governance reforms.
The report noted that hopes of building a discrimination-free, accountable, corruption-free, and inclusive “New Bangladesh” following the fall of the previous authoritarian government have yet to be reflected in public service delivery.
Although the average amount paid in bribes per household declined by 9.8% compared with 2023, the overall estimated volume of bribes increased. TIB estimated total bribery nationwide at Tk12,633.2 crore in 2025, up 15.9% from 2023 and equivalent to 1.58% of the revised national budget for fiscal year 2024–25.
The organisation expressed concern over persistently high levels of corruption in law enforcement and judicial services, warning that such practices continue to undermine citizens’ access to justice.
It also observed that corruption and bribery have either increased or remained significantly high in key public service sectors, including agriculture, local government institutions, land administration, education, health, passport services, and BRTA operations.
The survey found notable disparities between rural and urban areas. Around 66% of rural households reported paying bribes, compared with 58.5% of urban households. However, urban households paid higher average amounts in bribes.
Lower-income households were found to bear a heavier burden, spending a larger share of their annual income on bribes than wealthier families, placing additional financial pressure on them.
Respondents reported experiencing various forms of corruption, including bribery, extortion, embezzlement, negligence in service delivery, nepotism, and abuse of influence.
TIB further identified brokers, intermediaries, and dishonest officials as key drivers of corruption in many service sectors. Irregularities were reported to be particularly prevalent in passport services, driving licence issuance, vehicle registration, land administration, and judicial services.
The organisation attributed the persistence of corruption to bureaucratic delays, administrative complexities, weak accountability mechanisms, and inadequate oversight. In many cases, citizens reportedly felt compelled to pay bribes to obtain services within a reasonable timeframe or to ensure that official procedures were completed.
