Stories of corruption in South Asia make world news, especially when organizations like Transparency International release their surveys and the over-enthusiastic news media have a field day reporting these stories. According to the latest figures released by TI as part of its report, titled “Daily Lives and Corruption, Public Opinion in South Asia,” 7,500 people were surveyed between 2010 and 2011 in Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, on the frequency of bribes in these countries. According to the findings, in India some 54% of the respondents said they have paid a bribe. It was 66%, or two out of every three people, in Bangladesh, 50% in Pakistan, 32% in Nepal, 32% in Sri Lanka and 5% in the Maldives. Bangladesh has thus emerged as the most corrupt country in the region. The study also found that most people in South Asia think corruption is on the rise, with 62% of those interviewed saying they believe corruption has become worse in the past three years.

It is true that bribery has become a key part of the lives of people all across South Asia. Generally speaking, political parties and the police have been found to be the most corrupt institutions in the region, followed closely by legislatures and public officials. According to TI`s national corruption perception survey 2011 for Pakistan, land administration and police were the two most corrupt sectors while education and military were the least corrupt.