Corruption in Bangladesh

Although, Bangladesh has experienced notable social and economic progress since around the turn of the century, it remained one of the world's poorest nations in 2015, with 76.5% of the population living on less than US$2 a day.

[11] As of 2001, bribery, misappropriation of funds, excessive lobbying, delays in performing services, pilferage, neglect of duties, abuse of power, and patronage were rampant throughout the public sector.

SNC-Lavalin admitted to bribing him in order to obtain contracts[17][18] Soon after the case emanated, Sheikh Hasina disavowed her nephew and campaigned for his opponent during the 2014 Bangladeshi general election.

[19] On 29 August 2012, Anti Corruption Commission of Bangladesh said that they have the information that Syed Modasser Ali, adviser to the prime minister Sheikh Hasina, allegedly influenced Sonali Bank authorities into granting scam loan to the controversial Hallmark Group.

[22] On 10 April 2016, Bangladesh Supreme Court Appellate Division upheld 13-year jail to former minister of Disaster Management and Relief Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya rejecting his review plea seeking acquittal in graft case.

[41] Al Jazeera's Investigation Exposed Bangladesh's Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury's exclusive property portfolio in Dubai, London, New York, San Francisco, and New Jersey.

According to undercover video recordings of the Al Jazeera investigation unit, Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina knew all along about Mr Chowdhury's corruption.

[42][43] In 2007, Military backed caretaker government charged Harris Chowdhury, former Political Secretary of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, of acquiring his wealth through corruption.

[49] On 16 October 2008, it has been reported that the Interpol found the trace of a deposit of BD taka 141.5 million with a bank in Hong Kong of former foreign minister M Morshed Khan.

Both he and his son Faisal Morshed Khan have been convicted in several cases relating to corruption, hiding wealth information, land grabbing and criminal activities after the caretaker government came to power in January 2007.

[52] On 24 June 2011, Niko Resources, a Calgary-based oil and gas company, has pleaded guilty to bribing Bangladeshi minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain with a luxury SUV and a trip to New York and Calgary, and will pay a $9.5-million fine.

[58] On 15 November 2014, Prof AKM Shafiul Islam Lilon of Department of Social Science of Rajshahi University was hacked to death by Jubo Dal (youth wing of Bangladesh Nationalist Party) leader Anwar Hossain Ujjal.

[67] In public universities and colleges the student wings of ruling[68] political parties dominate the campuses and residential halls through crime and violence to gain various unauthorised facilities.

[85][86] On 10 December 2012, some hackers hacked and posted the seventeen hours' of Skype call of chief justice Nizamul Huq on YouTube where he suggested that he was under pressure from the government to reach a quick verdict in the ongoing 1971 war crime cases against the country's senior opposition leaders.

The collapse of an eight-story factory in April 2013 was the result of substantial building code violations, and highlighted the role of corruption in the issuance of permits and licenses and in safety inspections.

[108] On 26 July 2014, it has been reported that three senior judges, AKM Ishtiaque Hussain, Md Mizanur Rahman, Salauddin Mohammad Akram, would lose their jobs because of various types of corruptions.

[123] Law enforcement agencies like Rapid Action Battalion are involved in extrajudicial killing,[124] murder, abduction,[125][126][127] and rampant human rights abuse.

[128][129][130] Brother of Former Army Chief of Staff General Aziz has admitted[131] on camera of the use of Rapid Action Battalion to torture[132] innocent civilian who refused to pay extortion money to him.

[133] Gowher Rizvi, the foreign affairs advisor to the Prime minister acknowledged that there are corrupt[134] practices amongst all law enforcing agencies and government is looking into the matter.

[136] The Rapid Action Battalion was also involved in the suppression of freedom of speech and victimising opposition leaders from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party under the instruction of Prime Sheikh Hasina and the Home Minister.

[136] According to the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, officers who committed serious crimes and corruption are currently deployed in the UN peacekeeping mission in Africa, violating the UN charter.

[158][159] In 2012, Defence Adviser Maj Gen (Retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique was involved in bribery of BDT 7 million carried by a government vehicle.

Maj Gen (Retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique called the then chief of army staff, General Md Abdul Mubeen to release the vehicle and the money.

[161][162] Bangladesh's Bureau of Anti-Corruption charged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for buying a navy frigate from South Korea at an unusually high price while in office.

[183][184] Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's niece, Tulip Siddiq, received a grease payment for facilitating a billion-dollar arms deal between Bangladesh and Russia.

[185] High-ranking army officers at the Directorate General Defense Purchase (DGDP) received grease payment for procuring arms from Chinese Norinco and Russian Rosoboronexport.

[186][187][188] Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission decided on 04 September 2024 to initiate an inquiry against former army chief retired General Aziz Ahmed over allegations of amassing a huge amount of illegal wealth at home and abroad.

[196] Doctors, nurses and other professionals working in government-run public hospitals have long been accused of demanding bribes for services which are supposed to be provided free of cost.

After the World Bank learned in 2012 of "a high-level corruption conspiracy among politicians, businessmen, and private individuals" in connection with the bridge, support for the project was withdrawn by several of the sources.

TIB undertakes research and surveys to investigate the magnitude and impact of corruption and suggest necessary moves for establishing a transparent system of governance, politics and business.