Most corruption in passport services, bribes in judiciary: TIB 

Corruption in passport services was the most widespread last year, while the highest bribes were paid in the judiciary, according to a report prepared by the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB). 

The anti-graft watchdog disclosed the report – titled 'Corruption in Service Sectors: National Household Survey 2023' – at a press conference at Dhanmondi in Dhaka on Tuesday. In the report, corruption has been defined as misuse of power for individual purposes. 

According to the report, around 71 per cent of households in Bangladesh were affected by corruption in 2023, with 51 per cent experiencing bribery while seeking services. On average, each of the households paid Tk 5,680 in bribes for various services during the year. 

The highest amount of bribes was paid in the judiciary as each household paid Tk 30,972 while seeking judicial services during the year. It was followed by land services with average paid bribe of Tk 11,776, banking services with average bribe of Tk 6,681, BRTA services with average bribe of Tk 6,654, and law enforcement agencies with average bribe of Tk 5,221.

The total amount of bribes at the national level in 2023 was estimated at Tk 109.02 billion, which accounts for 1.43 per cent of the revised national budget for the 2023–24 fiscal year and 0.22 per cent of the country’s GDP. 

According to the study, the minimum estimated amount of bribes in the service sector between 2009 and 2024 (April) is Tk 1.46 trillion.