Noakhali Records Highest Bribery Rate at 57%, Chapainawabganj Lowest: BBS Survey

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) released the final report of its Citizen Perception Survey (CPS) 2025 today, December 24, revealing significant regional disparities in corruption across the country. The survey highlights that citizens seeking public services face vastly different experiences depending on their district.

According to the report, Noakhali has the highest prevalence of bribery, with 57.17% of service-seekers reporting they had to pay bribes. Cumilla follows closely at 53.47%, and Faridpur ranks third at 51.70%. Other high-bribery districts include Bhola (49.01%) and Sirajganj (48.37%).

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Chapainawabganj recorded the lowest bribery rate at just 10.49%. Other districts with notably lower rates in Magura: 13.98%, Lalmonirhat: 14.50%, Gazipur: 15.24%, Sylhet: 15.61%

The survey identifies land administration, police, and local government offices as the sectors where bribery is most prevalent. Experts attribute the wide 47% gap between the highest and lowest-ranking districts to variations in administrative capacity, the level of service digitalization, and local monitoring mechanisms.

The BBS conducted this nationwide study between February 6 and 23, 2025, covering all 64 districts. The data was gathered from 84,807 respondents across 45,888 households, making it a comprehensive reflection of current public sentiment and experience regarding government transparency.

Following the release of these figures, civil society organizations have called for an immediate "Anti-Corruption Audit" in the five highest-ranking districts.

The government is expected to review these findings to prioritize the digitalization of land and police services in Noakhali and Cumilla to reduce human interaction and opportunities for rent-seeking.