ALTHOUGH education all around the world is seen as the key to a better future providing the essential tools that people need to sustain their livelihoods, live with dignity and contribute to society, unfortunately like many other sectors education sector in Bangladesh is also prone to corruption.
It is alleged that not only the small employees but also some high profile officials of this Education Directorate are involved in this heinous act. From directorate to upazila level, no file moves without bribe money.
Media reports in a national daily on Thursday said that allegation against Shyamnagar Upazila Education Officer and four other assistant education officers have been raised for taking bribe worth around Taka one crore from the allocation of 12 infrastructure repairing projects of 191 primary schools in the upazila. The teachers of these schools had to bribe these education officers to take delivery of cheques sanctioned against them.
According to the report, the Education Directorate for the fiscal year 2019-2020 had sanctioned Tk 4 crore 91 lakh 65 thousand for the 12 repairing projects of 191 primary schools of the upazila.
There were also allegations that the Upazila Education Officer Akhtaruzzaman Milon had grabbed Tk 27 lakh 48 thousand 200 from the ‘slip’ sector for the fiscal 2018-2019 to buy digital finger print machine.
Meanwhile, Upazila Teachers’ Samity General Secretary Sirajul Islam and the headmaster of a school Hossain Ali said as per the directive of the Education Directorate the sanctioned money for the ‘slip’ sector had to be deposited directly with the respective schools’ accounts so that the school authorities can purchase the quality one finger print machine through comparing the market price. But the Upazila Education Officer allegedly did not do so.
However, the Upazila Education Officer and the four assistant education officers agreed that they have taken 12 per cent as VAT and Tk 25,000 from the digital finger print machine. However, they denied of taking as bribe Tk 90 lakh 49 thousand from the 12 school repairing projects.
Corruption is the way of government so it is futile to criticise corruption.
