By DST’s Editorial Team,
The aspiration emerging from the 2024 student–people’s uprising is unmistakable: a corruption-free, justice-based state system. Yet recent findings suggest that this goal remains distant. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics’ Citizen Perception Survey 2025, nearly one-third of citizens, 31.67 percent, were forced to pay bribes to access public services in 2024. The survey exposes a deeply entrenched culture of corruption across key service sectors. The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) tops the list, with over 63 percent of service seekers reporting bribery. Law enforcement agencies and passport offices follow closely, affecting more than half of all users.
This problem is not confined to Dhaka. Bribery is widespread nationwide, with sharp regional disparities that corruption has become systemic rather than incidental.
The BRTA’s reputation for corruption is long-standing, and the latest data only confirms public experience. The same is true of passport offices, where services often depend on illicit payments. While low pay and heavy workloads are often cited as reasons for corruption in law enforcement, such explanations cannot justify the erosion of public trust. Salary reforms may help, but accountability remains essential.
A deeper issue lies in the state’s recruitment culture. While technical knowledge and academic qualifications are rigorously assessed, integrity and moral character are largely ignored. This neglect has allowed corruption to seep into the very fabric of public institutions.
Laws, regulations, and bodies like the Anti-Corruption Commission are necessary, but they are not enough. Structural reforms in recruitment, promotion, and service delivery are crucial. Without addressing these root causes, corruption will persist despite repeated pledges.
The people have made their demand clear: dignity, fairness, and clean governance. Ending bribery in public services is not optional—it is the true test of the state’s commitment to justice and reform.
