Can Bangladesh get rid of corruption?

I went to my village home a few weeks ago. My uncle, a veteran of the 1971 Liberation War, does not mind paying extra to secure a job for his graduate son. In Bangladesh, stories like this have become commonplace. Corruption is so embedded in our urban and rural society that none of my friends believe we can be rid of it. At times, we even feel relieved to find someone who will accept a bribe to get a job done. The line between right and wrong has become conveniently blurred and is often compromised.

A recent survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) shows a troubling truth: nearly one in three people reported paying bribes for essential public services. With a sample of over 84,000 individuals across the country, this is not a fringe issue but a national crisis. The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) tops the list of the most corrupt institutions, with more than 63 percent of citizens reporting they were forced to pay bribes. Close behind are law enforcement agencies, the Department of Immigration and Passports, and the Directorate of Registration. These are not just numbers. They reflect the experience of countless citizens who find the system stacked against them when they try to do the right thing. According to a separate assessment by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), citizens paid an estimated Tk 1.46 lakh crore in bribes for basic services over the last decade. That is not just a statistic; it is money taken from families who often have little to spare.

It is easy to blame corrupt officials or inefficient institutions, but the roots of the problem go deeper. Why do people offer bribes? Because they believe it is the only way to get things done. We accept, and even expect, corruption. It has become a tool, not just for the powerful, but for ordinary people trying to survive in a broken system. And this normalisation is perhaps the most dangerous part of all.

We need to ask ourselves some uncomfortable questions. Every time we slip a note to an officer to speed up a file, or call someone for a favour, we reinforce the very system we claim to hate. We complain about corruption but willingly participate when it suits us. Real change will not come from a few anti-graft raids or the transfer of a corrupt official. It will come when we stop seeing bribery as a shortcut and start seeing it as a betrayal of our rights and responsibilities. It will come when citizens demand better and refuse to pay for what they are entitled to. So, who is sponsoring this corruption? It is you, me, and all of us. But that shared responsibility is also a source of power. The question is, what do we do with that power?

First, there is technology. It is not a magic fix, but it is a powerful enabler. Countries such as India have reduced leakages in welfare and ration distribution by using biometric IDs and direct cash transfers. In Bangladesh, expanding digital platforms like MyGov, mobile banking, and online service applications could also cut out the need for personal contacts or unofficial payments. When people do not have to queue in an office or deal directly with an official, the opportunities for bribery fall dramatically. Digital footprints also make it easier to track irregularities and hold people accountable.

Second, value-based education is not a side issue. It is fundamental. If we want a generation that refuses to normalise corruption, then honesty, civic rights, and responsibilities need to be embedded in the classroom. Civic education must go beyond textbooks and become part of how students understand the system. Informed citizens make better demands, and stronger institutions respond to that pressure.

Third, we need leadership by example. When high-ranking officials or public figures are seen to be using influence or dodging accountability, it sends a powerful message. But when the opposite happens, when someone faces consequences despite their connections, it begins to restore faith. That is not just good governance; it is nation-building.

The writer is an economic analyst