Dhaka, March 22 -- Why are many countries stuck in a vicious circle of widespread corruption even if the governments change through elections or violent public upheavals? A possible explanation is that when corruption is widespread, people become used to it and feel helpless, and stop complaining. The media stops publishing comments and columns on corruption because no one reads them. Of course, 'corrupticians' (corrupt politicians) do not read because it is about them.

Bangladesh's corruption perception index (CPI) between 2012 and 2023 shows no perceptible and meaningful changes -- the CPI score has been trapped between 24 and 28 and the global ranking trapped between 139 and 149. It is hard to say if CPI reflects perception stickiness...