Highlights of the Household Survey

The household survey was aimed to highlight and diagnose the problems of corruption, the most common types of corruption, existing behavior related to corruption, how it poses hinderences and ways of combating it. This survey also showed the depth of corruption in Bangladesh as experienced by citizens, including the nature and scope of corruption during the pandemic response period and how it affected households. The survey found that Bangladeshi citizens’ awareness of the

Awareness of the

anti-corruption laws was very low, with only 5.7% being aware.

anti-corruption laws

However, among those who were aware, more than two-thirds

was very low, with

believe that the rights stipulated in the Act can be exercised.

only 5.7% being aware

The incidences of corruption faced by citizens were deemed to be substantially higher in public/government ofϐices than in private organizations. However, despite this phenomenon, the participants of survey and intervieews said that investigations are more likely to be carried out by the relevant government agencies on reported cases of corruption in private organizations than in public/government ofϐices.

The perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs about corruption indicate a mixed disposition. While 44.0% of the respondents found the current level of corruption unacceptable, about one-third (34.0%) found it acceptable, and a little more than one-ϐifth (22%) were unsure. The level of unacceptability rises signiϐicantly when asked whether “some form of corruption is acceptable.” Around two-thirds of respondents (62%) found it unacceptable, while the number of those who found it acceptable remained at around one-third (31%), and a few (8%) remained unsure. Slightly more than two-thirds expressed that unofϐicial services, gratiϐication money, or bribes are ‘never justiϐied.’ The remaining one-third maintained that it is ‘always or sometimes justiϐied.’ Around one-third have remained relatively consistent in their support for corruption. Respondents suggested several measures to prevent corruption in the country. These included strengthening laws, regulations, state control over public administration, and the enforcement of measures and punishment, as well as raising public awareness and ensuring both transparency in administrative decision-making and the consistent implementation of the rule of law. The survey examined the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially on the respondents’ economic well-being. It was found that at least one person in an estimated 2.1 million households (6.0% of Bangladesh’s total households) was infected by COVID-19 as of September 2021. Between March 2020 and September 2021, at least one person from about half (51.0%) of the country’s total households received some form of health service, mainly from the government health facilities but also to a lesser extent from private hospitals/clinics, village doctors, and pharmacies. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe adverse effects on national employment and household incomes, especially among the country’s lower-income segments. COVID-19 has severely impacted the poorer segments of society and job loss has been experienced by one in four families. As a result, many families, particularly lower-income households, lost their primary sources of income. In contrast, families in the upper-income segments economically remained at a similar level as they were before the pandemic. In addition, around 3 million families reported receiving assistance from the government between March 2020 and September 2021. In response to the question on trust in public institutions, respondents chose the Army as the most trusted of the seven selected institutions, followed by the legal and judicial system, local government, land administration/registration, local leaders, and the police in order from most to least trusted. Respondents trusted political parties the least.