Service sector corruption worse under interim than AL government, TIB finds

The watchdog says more than 81 percent of service recipients report facing corruption in at least one sector

Corruption in Bangladesh's service sector grew wider and deeper under the interim government in 2025 compared with 2023 under the Awami League, a survey by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has found.

The local chapter of the Berlin-based anti-graft watchdog released the findings of its National Household Survey on Service Sector Corruption 2025 at a media briefing on Thursday at MIDAS Centre in Dhanmondi.

Some 81.6 percent of service recipients experienced corruption in at least one sector in 2025, compared with 70.9 percent in the 2023 survey, TIB said.

TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said Bangladesh performs relatively well in the United Nations Development Programme's Global Digital Governance Index and has built the necessary infrastructure and systems for digital service delivery.

He said the country also ranks ahead of many South Asian nations on the index, but has yet to fully capitalise on the opportunities created by digital services.

Raising concerns over what he described as the “institutionalisation” of bribery in service delivery, Iftekharuzzaman said many people who paid bribes believed they could not obtain services otherwise.

He said the latest survey points to a deeper and more widespread corruption problem than the one identified in 2023.

[Updates to follow]