The survey revealed that the law enforcement agencies are the most corrupt service sector (72.5 pc) followed by the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP) (67.3 pc) and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) (65.4 pc).
Other corrupt services sectors are judiciary (60.5 pc), land (44.9pc), education (both government and MPO 42.9 pc), health (government 42.5 pc), agriculture (41.6 pc), power (38.9pc), gas (38.3 pc), local government institution (26.7 pc), insurance (12.3 pc), tax and levy (11.1 pc), banking (5.7 pc), NGO (5.4 pc) and miscellaneous (22.0 pc).
The findings of the survey, tilted 'Corruption in Service Sector: National Household Survey 2017', was unveiled at a press conference at TIB’s Dhanmondi office in the capital.
The survey report said about 63.1 percent people have to pay bribe for availing of services from the BRTA, 60.7 percent from law enforcement agencies, 59.3 percent from the DIP, 37.9 percent from land, 34.1 percent from education, 32.8 percent from judiciary and 19.8 percent from health sector.
Speaking on the occasion, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said TIB's National Household Survey 2017 shows that about 66.5 percent households of the country were the victims of corruption while availing of services and 49.8 percent of them had to bribe officials in this regard.
Every household, on average, has to pay a bribe of Tk 5,930 annually and the three most bribe-paying sectors are -- Gas sector Tk 33,805, Judicial service Tk 16,314 and in insurance sector Tk 14,865, said the report.
It revealed that an amount of Tk 10,688.9 crore was exchanged as bribe in services sector during the survey period from January to December 2017, which was 0.5 percent of the country's GDP in fiscal year 2016-17 and 3.4 percent of revised budget of the same financial year.
The TIB has conducted eight National Household Surveys since 1997.
The corruption level in the services sector remained almost unchanged in 2017 (66.5 pc) compared to 2015 (67.8 pc) while the rate of paying bribe decreased in 2017 (49.8 pc) against 58.1 percent in 2015.
According to the survey, corruption saw a remarkable rise in the gas, agriculture and power sectors in 2017 compared to 2015, while that in the education, passport, local government and land services sectors decreased.
The anti-graft body has put forward a 12-point recommendation based on the opinions of households which took part in the survey.
The recommendations include taking legal steps against corruption and meting out punishment to corrupt elements, taking steps by the Anti-Corruption Commission apart from other departments concerned to curb corruption in services sector, adopting code of conduct in every institution, increasing people’s participation in service delivery processes, proper implementation of Right to Information Act and Whistleblower Protection Act, increasing use of information and political will and its proper implementation.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman said this household survey does not have any connection with Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI).
The global body does not use the findings from this survey and other research conducted by the TIB while preparing the CPI, he said.
This survey portrays different types of corruption households experience while receiving services from different sectors while CPI mainly shows a comparative scenario with respect to prevalenceand extent of grand corruption at state level, the TIB executive director said he said.
TIB trustee board chairperson Sultana Kamal was present at the press briefing.