Published: 06:53 AM, 27 September 2026
People From All Backgrounds Should Join Hands to Combat Corruption
Corruption is not merely a problem for governments, politicians, or law-enforcement agencies. It is a social challenge that affects ordinary citizens in Bangladesh every day. From public offices to business organizations, from educational institutions to health care facilities, corruption can weaken trust, increase inequality, waste public resources, and undermine the rule of law. For this reason, people from all backgrounds must join hands to combat corruption and build a society where honesty, accountability, and fairness are valued.
Bangladesh has made significant progress in economic and social development over the past several decades. Yet corruption remains a serious obstacle to sustainable progress. Transparency International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index gave Bangladesh a score of 24 out of 100 and placed the country 150th among 182 countries. The index measures perceived public-sector corruption, rather than every form of corruption experienced by citizens, but it illustrates the continuing governance challenge.
The consequences of corruption are particularly serious for people with limited financial resources. A wealthy individual may sometimes find alternative ways to obtain a service, but a poor farmer, garment worker, rickshaw driver, small trader, student, or low-income family may have no such option. When someone is asked for an unofficial payment to receive a legitimate government service, the burden falls disproportionately on those who can least afford it.
Corruption also affects the quality of public services. Money allocated for roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, climate adaptation, social safety-net programs, and other public projects is intended to serve citizens. If procurement is manipulated, contracts are awarded unfairly, or public funds are misused, society receives less value from its limited resources. Transparency International has specifically identified risks related to public financial management and procurement in Bangladesh, while its Asia-Pacific analysis has highlighted concerns about the vulnerability of climate finance to irregularities and corruption.
The fight against corruption, therefore, cannot be left to one institution. Government agencies have important responsibilities, but citizens, businesses, journalists, teachers, students, professionals, religious and community leaders, and civil society organizations also have roles to play.
Government officials must provide services according to established rules rather than personal relationships or financial incentives. Public institutions should maintain transparent procedures, publish relevant information, and make it easier for citizens to understand how decisions are made. The Anti-Corruption Commission has pointed to constitutional principles, the Right to Information Act 2009, and protections for information providers as part of Bangladesh's legal framework for accountability and public participation.
At the same time, citizens should understand that fighting corruption does not simply mean demanding honesty from others. It also requires examining our own behavior. Offering a bribe to speed up a process, using personal connections to obtain an unfair advantage, submitting false information, or encouraging someone to ignore regulations contributes to the same culture of corruption that citizens frequently criticize.
This is why the participation of people from every social and professional group is essential.
Business leaders can promote transparent accounting and fair procurement. Professionals can refuse unethical practices in their workplaces. Teachers can teach students that integrity is more valuable than short-term personal gain. Parents can demonstrate honesty in everyday life. Students can learn to question unfair practices rather than accepting them as inevitable. Journalists can investigate allegations responsibly and provide citizens with reliable information. Community leaders can encourage people to use lawful mechanisms for reporting wrongdoing.
Young people have a particularly important role. Bangladesh has a large and increasingly connected youth population, and digital technology gives young citizens new ways to access information, document problems, and demand accountability. However, digital activism must be accompanied by evidence and responsible communication. False accusations, manipulated photographs, and unverified social-media posts can damage innocent people's reputations and weaken legitimate anti-corruption efforts.
Citizens should also make greater use of lawful reporting and information mechanisms. Transparency International maintains an Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre in Bangladesh that provides free and confidential legal advice to people facing corruption-related problems. Such mechanisms can help citizens understand their rights and pursue complaints more safely.
Institutional reform is equally important. Individual citizens cannot eliminate systemic corruption simply by behaving honestly. Strong oversight, professional public administration, transparent procurement, effective auditing, independent investigation, and fair enforcement of the law are necessary. Transparency International's 2025 global findings emphasize the importance of independent justice and oversight, political-finance transparency, media freedom, and civic space in controlling corruption.
Bangladesh has already established legal and institutional mechanisms intended to address corruption. The challenge is ensuring that these mechanisms work effectively, consistently, and without discrimination. Laws are meaningful only when people believe that they will be applied fairly and that wrongdoing will not be protected by wealth, influence, political connections, or social status.
The private sector must also recognize that corruption ultimately damages the business environment. Unfair competition rewards companies based on connections rather than efficiency and innovation. Businesses that operate transparently can face disadvantages if competitors gain contracts through improper means. A stronger culture of corporate integrity can therefore benefit not only the public but also legitimate entrepreneurs.
The media has another crucial responsibility. Investigative journalism can bring hidden problems into public view, but reporting on corruption should be based on documents, credible sources, and careful verification. Responsible journalism can strengthen accountability without turning allegations into conclusions before the facts have been established.
Most importantly, Bangladesh needs a culture in which corruption is no longer considered an unavoidable part of everyday life. The common expression that "nothing moves without money" should not become a social rule. When people accept corruption as normal, corrupt practices become harder to challenge. When citizens collectively reject such practices and demand lawful alternatives, institutions face greater pressure to improve.
The fight against corruption will not be won overnight. It requires patience, institutional reform, public awareness, ethical leadership, and sustained participation from citizens. It also requires courage from people who refuse to participate in wrongdoing even when doing so may appear inconvenient.
Bangladesh's future depends not only on economic growth but also on the quality of its institutions and the trust between citizens and the state. Every taka protected from corruption can contribute to a school, hospital, road, social program, or other public need. Every transparent decision can strengthen public confidence. Every citizen who refuses to participate in bribery helps establish a different social standard.
Corruption thrives when people remain silent, institutions remain weak, and wrongdoing becomes normalized. It becomes harder to sustain when citizens demand transparency, officials uphold their responsibilities, businesses follow ethical standards, and communities stand together.
The message is therefore simple: combating corruption is everyone's responsibility. Bangladesh needs the combined efforts of people from every background—not only to expose wrongdoing, but also to build a culture in which honesty, accountability, and public service are respected. A cleaner and more accountable Bangladesh will not be created by one institution or one group. It must be built collectively, one honest decision at a time.
Sarwar Chowdhury writes on geopolitical
standings and contemporary matters.
