Most members of the syndicate involved in question paper leak in the Department of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) are still at large and are thriving as it has become a profitable business in the country now-a-days.
The syndicate of dishonest officials of different departments, including the DSHE have been pocketing crores of taka by leaking question papers.
Very few numbers of the corrupt officials and employees face legal action for their nefarious activities. But, most of them remained untouched due to the blessings of their higher authorities or involvement with politically influential persons, according to the investigators probing such cases.
According to the investigators of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police, a syndicate of influential officials and employees have illegally earned thousands of crores of taka in the last 10 years by leaking question papers
of the state-owned bank recruitment tests, recruitment in DSHE and public university and medical college admission tests.
Now, CID officials are investigating some 11 cases filed in connection with question paper leaks. But investigation of only two cases have been completed and charge sheet submitted 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 in question paper leak.
The influential persons involved in the recent exam 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 connection.
The DSHE hasn't yet taken any departmental action against Chandra Shekhar and his associates. His close 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 PA Pronoy Baria remained scot-free.
According to DSHE office sources, those people were the closed aides of Chandra Shekhar and were involved in the entire dealing of question papers leak incidents. Once, they were brought to accounts by proper investigation, more than Tk 50 crore will be found in their accounts. Due to their influence and financial strength, no one could remove them from the office or transfer them anywhere else.
At that time, DB arrested five persons and claimed that the gang made a trade of Tk 60 crore by leaking question papers. A transaction of Tk 10 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 Tk 33 crore. The arrested persons told the CID that they bought the land with illegal money. They transacted about Tk 65 crore in as many 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 Govt College after getting proof of his involvement with question papers leak. Enraged by this, he threatened those who claimed to have played a 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 his 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 Centre 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 Govt 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 Tk 50 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. Apart from this, in the last few years, it's known that he has bought lands of around Tk 3 crore in 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 writing, but no investigation was done due to the influence of Pronoy Baria and other syndicate members.
Bashir Hawladar, one of the syndicate member, 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 they have arrested Chandra Shekhar on the basis of specific information and interrogated him on remand.
