Staff Correspondent

Passport services, BRTA, law enforcement, judiciary, and land were among the most corrupt sectors during the previous Awami League government, said Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).

A corruption survey prepared between May 2023 and April 2024 also revealed that the judicial services, insurance and land services sectors were at the peak in collecting the highest bribes or illegal money collection during the period.

TIB released the “Corruption in Service Sectors: National Household Survey, 2023” today at a programme at the TIB office in the city’s Dhanmondi.

According to the survey, passport services (86 percent) were identified as the most corrupt sector, followed by BRTA (85.2 percent), law enforcement agencies (74.5 percent), judicial services (62.3 percent), land services (51 percent), public healthcare (49.1 percent), and local government institutions (44.2 percent).

The anti-graft watchdog said the survey report was published to measure the type of corruption faced the service recipients while receiving services from the government and private institutions. To this end, detailed information on 17 specific sectors including education, health, local government, land, agriculture, law enforcement agencies, and the judiciary was collected.

In 2023, some 70.9 percent of households (families) were victims of corruption, while 50.8 percent of households were victims of bribery.

The highest incidences of bribery were reported in passport services (74.8 percent), BRTA (71.9 percent), law enforcement agencies (58.3 percent), judicial services (34.1 percent), land services (32.3 percent), and local government institutions (29.7 percent).

The households in overall were forced to pay an average of Tk 5,680 in bribes or unauthorized payments, where the average bribe amount was highest in the judicial services, land services, and banking sectors.

The total estimated bribe amount at the national level in 2023 was about TK 10,902 crore, which was 1.43 percent of the national budget (revised) for the fiscal year 2023-24 and 0.22 percent of Bangladesh's GDP.

In addition, the minimum estimated amount of total bribery at the national level in the service sector from 2009 to 2024 (April) was TK 146,252 crore, according to the survey.

Women, religious minorities, indigenous people, and individuals with disabilities face additional burdens, worsening their socio-economic challenges. Women are notably impacted by corruption in local governance and educational sectors, which hinders them from participating and, in certain instances, obstructs their progress.

The findings are based on a survey of 15,515 households conducted nationwide between May 13 and August 3, 2024. The surveyed households faced the challenges between May 2023 and April 2024.

TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, “We have seen that the much-publicized declaration of “zero tolerance against corruption’ remains confined to rhetoric.”

While the government speaks of combating corruption on paper, reports exposing its prevalence are often dismissed, he said, adding that institutions tasked with preventing corruption are not only ineffective but have also had their operational scope significantly curtailed.

Iftekharuzzaman observed that “Consequently, due to the failure to control corruption, the general public is held hostage to it and forced to accept it.”

Mentioning that the current context offers a crucial opportunity, he said if the interim government can set a solid precedent by taking immediate action against corruption, it may provide a benchmark for future governments, compelling them to continue such efforts.