The amount accounts for roughly 2 percent of Bangladesh's GDP.

On an average, every citizen pays Tk 485 in bribes to these sectors, the anti-graft watchdog said in a survey released yesterday.

The TIB identified land and land-related departments, police stations and lower courts as the most corruption-prone sectors. The other areas are health, education, power, the tax department, arbitration and relief of local government and pensions.

It suggested stronger political will of the policymakers, steps to make the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) an effective organisation, transparency and accountability, introduction of exemplary punishment, appointment of several ombudsman, and administrative reforms to fight against corruption.

The TIB also emphasised an active and conscious role of the civil society, research, and active mass media as well as the inclusion of morality-boosting and an honesty-based curriculum in textbooks to raise awareness against the all-pervading evil.

The TIB conducted 'Corruption in Bangladesh: A household survey' to find out the nature of corruption, the broad spectrum, depth and losses made by corruption between September 10 and October 24, 2004 in approximately 3,000 households of 55 districts -- 2,100 households in villages and 900 in towns.

"An independent, empowered and effective Anti-corruption Commission, administrative reforms, ensuring transparency and accountability by increasing participation of people in public activities would help fight against corruption," TIB Trustee Prof Mozaffar Ahmed told reporters at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club.

He said the appointment of a sector-wise ombudsman, cancellation of the Official Secrecy Act for ensuring free flow of information, and creating massive awareness among the people against corruption and building a social movement are also a must to check corruption in Bangladesh.

TIB official Ekram Hossain said 97 percent of the households surveyed said they had to pay Tk 3,713 more than the fee required for land registration.

Some 52 percent of the households showed the price of land as 41 percent lower than the actual price for dodge tax with the help of land registration officials and employees.

Some 92 percent of households surveyed said they had to pay Tk 2,430 to file an FIR (first information report) with police stations and 91 percent households said they paid Tk 939 to file a general diary (GD).

Again, 80 percent of households said they were forced to pay Tk 881 for obtaining police clearance, while the accused in 71 percent of cases paid the policemen Tk 5,718 on average.

Police collected Tk 1,531 crore from people who went to file FIRs and GDs, obtain police clearance and from the accused.

In the lower court, 66 percent of plaintiffs said they had to pay Tk 6,135 on average while 65 percent of respondents had to pay Tk 7,728 to court officials, employees, judges and public prosecutors. In one year, the officials and employees of the lower court take Tk 2,042 crore in bribes from the plaintiffs and accused.

In the education sector, the TIB found that the officers and employees concerned took Tk 60.65 crore from the primary and secondary education sectors where the students mostly paid bribes for admission.

Some 58 percent of households alleged that they had to pay bribes for arbitration in the local government while public representatives take Tk 413 crore a year on average. The local government officials and employees take bribes from the people to enlist them for relief, but the relief is still less than they are supposed to receive.

Seventy-one percent of those who drew their pension said they bribed the offices concerned Tk 8,000 on average. In a year, Tk 82 crore goes to the pockets of corrupt officials and employees from the pensioners. Some 70.4 percent of households said they paid bribes to get power connections.

The TIB found that officials and employees of the power sector take Tk 104.16 crore in bribes for giving power connections and Tk 65 crore a year for reducing power bills. Some 10.4 percent of households used illegal power connections for three years.

In government hospitals, 20 percent of households paid bribes in the indoor, 29.4 percent in the outdoor, 37 percent for surgery, 57 percent for x-rays and 60 percent for diagnoses like blood tests and others tests. These five health services earned the corrupt officials and employees Tk 113.75 crore in a year.

The TIB survey found that 49 percent of households paid bribes to income tax offices, while nine percent of households had to bribe the offices concerned for holding tax payments.

The tax department officials and employees took Tk 167.73 crore a year from the income taxpayers and Tk 39.18 crore from the holding taxpayers.

TIB trustees and former advisor to the caretaker government Hafizuddin Ahmed and Dr Iftekharuzzmaan were also present at the press conference.