One in three citizens had to pay bribes while receiving public services: BBS survey

Nearly 32 per cent of citizens who received public services in the past year have been victims of bribery and corruption, according to the Citizen Perception Survey (CPS) released today by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

The findings revealed that, on average, one out of every three people had to pay bribes to access public services.

BBS disclosed the survey results at a press conference held at its headquarters in Agargaon on Thursday.

A total of 84,807 men and women participated in the survey conducted in February this year.

The highest incidence of bribery and corruption occurs at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) offices, as per the survey.

It showed that 63.29 per cent of citizens seeking services from BRTA in the past year had to pay bribes.

This was followed by law enforcement agencies at 62.94 per cent, passport offices at 57.45 per cent, and land registration offices at 54.92 per cent.

The survey also highlighted public perceptions of political expression. Only 27.24 per cent of respondents said they feel free to express opinions on government activities within the country’s political system.

Additionally, 19.31 per cent of citizens reported experiencing some form of discrimination or harassment over the past year, with women being more affected than men, according to the survey findings.