Passport, BRTA office top corruption hotspots

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has reported that bribes worth Tk 12,633 crore were exchanged across various service sectors between November 2024 and October 2025.

The findings were revealed at a press conference organised by TIB on Thursday at the MIDAS Centre in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, on the occasion of the release of the “Corruption in Service Sectors: National Household Survey 2025.”

According to the report, the estimated total amount of bribery at the national level stands at Tk 12,633 crore 20 lakh, which is 15.9 percent higher than in 2023 and equivalent to 1.58 percent of the revised national budget for FY2024–25.

TIB said the survey reflects the state of corruption during the tenure of the interim government.

TIB noted that compared to 2023, the number of people affected by corruption
and bribery in service sectors increased significantly in 2025.

It said 81.5 percent of households that paid bribes stated that services could not be obtained without payment, indicating the institutionalisation of bribery.

The report also found that 61.3 percent of affected households did not file any complaint, believing the entire system to be corrupt. Nearly half of all households reportedly did not know where or how to report corruption.

According to the survey, the rate of households experiencing corruption increased by 15.1 percent nationally in 2025, while households subjected to bribery rose by 25.2 percent compared to 2023.

As in previous surveys, the passport office and the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) were identified as the top sectors where citizens most frequently faced corruption and bribery.

However, the average bribe per household declined by 9.8 percent compared to 2023.

Despite this, the highest average bribe amounts were recorded in judiciary-related services, banking and the land sector.

Rural–urban gap
The survey showed notable differences between rural and urban areas. In rural areas, 66 percent of households reported paying bribes, compared to 58.5 percent in urban areas.

However, urban residents paid higher average amounts—Tk 5,757 compared to Tk 4,864 in rural areas.

Impact on vulnerable groups
TIB said low-income households spend a significantly larger share of their income on bribes.

It also noted that women, indigenous people and persons with disabilities face greater exposure to corruption-related pressure, further deepening inequality.

Women service users in local government institutions, disaster relief services and the education sector were found to be particularly vulnerable to corruption, which the report said discourages participation in public services.

Digital services not enough
The report said that despite the expansion of digital services, corruption has not been significantly reduced.

The continued reliance on intermediaries and mixed digital-manual systems has, in some cases, created additional opportunities for bribery.

Complaint mechanisms weak
TIB also highlighted low awareness of complaint mechanisms. Nearly half of households did not know how to report corruption. While 29.5 percent were aware of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), only 1.4 percent knew about the Grievance Redress System (GRS).

It added that even when complaints were filed, effective redress was rare. In more than one-fifth of cases, complaints were not accepted, while in 51 percent of cases, no action was taken.

A majority of affected households—61.3 percent—believed that the service delivery system itself is corrupt, making complaints ineffective, the report said.