Law enforcement agencies most corrupt: TIB survey

Law enforcing agencies are the most corrupt service sector in the country. Then there are passport offices and BRTA.

The information was revealed in a survey of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).

TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman delivered the information at a press conference on publication of household survey of the organization at its Dhanmondi office in the capital on Thursday.

In the press conference he said, TIB conducted a household survey throughout the country. There people were asked to answer about obstacles to get services based on specific questions.

According to the survey, in 2017 overall 66.5 percent people are victims of corruption in service sector. Of those highest 72.5 percent corruption took place in law enforcing agencies, 67.3 percent in passport offices and 65.4 percent in Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).

It said, general people were forced to pay 5,930 taka bribe per household in the year 2017 and the three highest bribe collecting sectors were gas (33,805 taka), judicial service (16,314 taka) and insurance sector (14,886 taka).

The amount of nationwide exchanged bribe in 2017 was 10 thousand 6 hundred 88 crore 90 lakh taka; which was 3.4 percent of the national budget (revised) of the fiscal year 2016-17 and 0.5 percent of the national GDP. The amount of per head bribe was 658 taka in 2017; which was 533 taka in 2015.

TIB also said, corruption increased in 2017 as notable way than 2015 in some sectors (such as- gas, agriculture, BRTA, judicial service) and in some sectors corruption decreased like education, passport and local government divisions.

The survey mentioned that 89 percent household of the bribe payee showed reason for paying bribe as ‘service is not available if not paid bribe’- that means bribe collection is institutionalized; which was 70.9 percent in the year 2015.

AH