Staff Reporter :
Most of the question paper leakage syndicate members of the Department of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) are still remaining untouched as it has become a profitable business in the country now-a-days.
The syndicates of dishonest officials of different authorities including the Department of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) have been pocketing crores of Taka involving in the question paper leakage as it has become a profitable business in the country now-a-days.
Very few numbers of the corrupt officials and employees have been facing legal actions for their sinful activities. But, most of them are remaining untouched due to the blessings of their higher authorities or involvement with politically influential persons, according to the investigators investigating such cases.
According to the investigators of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police, a syndicate of influential officials and employees have illegally earned around thousands of crores of Taka in last 10 years by leaking question papers of the state-owned bank recruitment test, recruitment in DSHE and public university and medical college admission tests.
Now, CID officials are investigating some 11 cases filed on question paper leaks. But investigation of only two cases have been completed and charged so far. The rests are still under investigation.
According to CID sources, while investigating the cases of DSHE, the CID officials have got information of transactions of several crores of Taka by these syndicates involved with question paper leak.
The influential persons involved with the recent impersonal examination question paper leak for recruitment of ‘Office Assistant-cum-Computer Operator’ of the DSHE are still at large, though the DSHE’s influential Education Officer (Secondary-1) Chandra Shekhar Halder Milton was arrested in this incident.
The DSHE hasn’t yet taken any departmental action against Chandra Shekhar and his associates. His closed aides DSHE’s former LDA Bellal Hossain, now posted at Narsingdi’s Secondary Education Office, LDA Nazmul Hossain, system technician Bashir Hawladar, and DSHE DG’s office’s Pronoy Baria are still remained untouched.
According to DSHE office sources, those people were the closed aides of Chandra Shekhar and involved with the entire dealing of question papers leakage incidents. Once, they were brought to accounts
by proper investigation, more than Tk50 crore will be found in their accounts. Due to their influence and financial strength, no one could remove them from the office or transfer anywhere else.
At that time, DB arrested five persons and claimed that the gang made a trade of Tk60 crore by leaking question papers. A transaction of Tk10 crore was made in the bank account of a teacher of BUET.
The CID had also arrested 13 members of medical and dental college admission examination question paper loop in February last year. CID found that among the 13 arrested, seven members have land worth around Tk33 crore. The arrested persons told the CID that they bought the land with illegal money. They transacted about Tk65 crore as 135 bank accounts.
According to DB officials, Chandra Shekhar was an influential official of Shiksha Bhaban (DSHE). The DSHE’s top officials were cornered by Chandra Shekhar, an official of the BCS 31st batch of education cadre who was on deputation in DSHE.
On July 21 this year, Chandra Shekhar was transferred to Madaripur Government College after getting evidences of his involvement in question papers leak. Enraged by this, he threatened those who are claimed to be played role in his transfer. After that, the law enforcement agency arrested him. DB had to scramble to get permission to arrest him. The Education Ministry hadn’t yet suspended him from his job even after his arrest and sending to jail and remand interrogation, according to DSHE sources.
On July 25, DB arrested Chandra Shekhar in a raid at Segunbagicha flat in Dhaka. Earlier on May 13, the written tests were held for the appointment of 513 posts of the DSHE. During the tests, an aspirant candidate Suman Jowardar was arrested from Eden College Center with the answer to the question paper.
Based on the information given by Suman Jowardar, police arrested Saiful Islam, a mathematics teacher of Khepupara Secondary Girls’ School in Patuakhali. Later, DB arrested 34th BCS education cadre officer and assistant professor of Patuakhali Government College Rashedul Islam, DSHE’s senior assistant Ahsan Habib and office assistant Naushad in a raid in Tikatuli and Wari areas of the capital.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) received information on the transactions of crores of Taka in Chandra Shekhar’s account. At least Tk50 crore has been transacted in joint accounts in the name of Chandra Shekhar and his wife in the last four years. The money was deposited in their joint accounts and withdrawn at various times. The intelligence agencies have found Milton’s flat worth Tk2.5 crore in Segunbagicha during their investigation.
Apart from this, in the last few years, it’s known that he has bought lands of around Tk3 crore by his own name and the names of his relatives.
Earlier, the investigation by BFIU revealed information of transaction of Tk10 crore in the bank accounts of a BUET teacher behind the leak of recruitment exam question papers of five state-owned banks.
According to DSHE officials, Md. Nasir Uddin, an assistant teacher of Katlagari Secondary School of Shailakupa Upazila, Bashir hacked the password of Jhenaidah District Education Officer. The concerned District Education Officer Sushant Kumar Dev informed the Director General about the matter in written, but no investigation was done due to the influence of Pronoy Baria and other syndicate members.
Bashir Hawladar, one of this syndicate, used DSHE’s password. This syndicate has collected crores of Taka from the teachers giving illegal benefits including fake enrolment and changing the groups of the teachers by hacking the passwords. Huge amount of public funds are being misused for their misdeeds.
In this regard, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner (DB) Harun Or Rashid said that they have arrested Chandra Shekhar on the basis of specific information and interrogated him on remand. Chandra Shekhar’s powerful syndicate is involved in DSHE’s question leak.
