Edu ministry most corrupt due to bribery over staff transfer: Wahiduddin Mahmud

Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud has said that the highest level of bribery in the government occurs within the Ministry of Education, which primarily revolves around transfers of staff.

Speaking as the chief guest at the launch event of the Citizen Perception Survey (CPS) conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) today (19 June), the education adviser said he had verified this information through intelligence sources, who confirmed the widespread involvement of middlemen in the process of transferring officials.

During the event, Wahiduddin said, "I used to think everyone was forced to pay bribes. Still, the survey shows that 31% of citizens have had to pay bribes. Interestingly, women reported being asked for bribes less frequently, and wealthier citizens tend to pay more, essentially purchasing services through bribery."

Adviser Wahiduddin added, "Based on my knowledge, the most bribery occurs in the Ministry of Education, particularly around transfer processes. I investigated this through the intelligence services, who reported that many intermediaries are involved."

Expressing disappointment over police corruption, he noted, "The police have not even properly stood on their feet yet, and still they rank second in corruption. That's not a good sign."

Conducted in February 2025, the nationwide survey covered all 64 districts, collecting data through face-to-face interviews with 831,807 respondents aged 18 and above from 1,920 Primary Sampling Units (PSUs) and 45,868 enumeration areas.

The event was also attended by Kaiyum Ara Begum, secretary of the Socio-Economic Division of the Planning Commission, and Aleya Begum, secretary of the Statistics and Informatics Division.

BBS Director General Mohammad Mizanur Rahman presided over the session.