Two officials from EC, DSCC involved in forgery of Sabrina’s NID

Two officials from the Election Commission (EC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) have been found to be involved in the forgery of the national identity (NID) card and the income tax certificate of Sabrina Arif Chowdhury, a physician at the JKG Health Care.

The detective branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) found evidence of their involvement while investigating a case in this regard.

Confirming the matter, Mashiur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Gulshan division of DB police, told Prothom Alo, “The investigation of the case filed against Sabrina for forging the national ID (NID) card and the income tax certificate is complete.”

“Two officials of the EC and DSCC have been found to be involved in the forgery during the investigation. The decision regarding whether these officials will be included in the chargesheet in this case or not, will be taken soon. After that the chargesheet will be submitted.”

The police arrested Sabrina on the allegation of providing coronavirus test results without sample testing on 12 July 2020. Sabrina was a physician at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hospital. The authority temporarily expelled her after the arrest.

Later on 30 August 2020, a case was lodged against her on the allegations of forging the national ID card and the income tax certificate. Electoral officer of Gulshan area, Mohammad Nasim filed the case. The Gulshan division of DB police is charge of investigating the case.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Mashiur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Gulshan division of DB police, said, “We have found proof that Sabrina forged a second NID card and a fake income tax certificate by hiding her actual date of birth and permanent address. Sabrina forged a fake birth certificate with the help of a DSCC official. Her appeal for the birth certificate was recommended by an official of the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh.

Sabrina faked her NID in nexus with an official of the EC.

According to sources familiar with investigation of the case, Sabrina first received an NID in 2009 but the DB found information about another NID belonging to her, which was issued in 2016. The spelling of her name and her mother’s name, her address, date of birth and profession differ in both NIDs.

DB officials conducting the investigation said Sabrina passed her SSC in 1991 and MBBS in 2001. According to the forged NID, she passed her SSC at the age of eight and MBBS at 17. The forged income tax certificate, too, contains similar details.

An official involved in the case investigation told Prothom Alo the second NID of Sabrina was not registered biometrically. She had been out to establish herself as per the details that she provided in second NID and income tax certificate, so she had been using this information everywhere.

DB officials involved in the investigation said Sabrina has removed her SSC certificate from the file of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and that is why the DGHS could not provide the DB with the document.

Prior to the arrest of Sabrina, police arrested her husband Ariful Haque Chowdhury in June 2020 on charge of faking the Covid-19 sample testing.

Ariful Haque Chowdhury, who is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Jobeda Khatun General Health Care (JKG Healthcare), also face charges in three more cases.

Two of these cases were filed in June 2020 while the remaining case was registered with Ramna police station in 2012 on charges of fraud.

A certain Tota Mia from Mohammadpur filed a case with Tejgaon police station against Ariful in 25 June 2020.

Tota Mia told Prothom Alo JKG Health Care leased 12 laptops from his frim Nafis Communication to collect Covid-19 samples but JKG neither paid him nor returned his laptops.

The same month, a certain Mehedi Hasain also filed another case against Ariful. Mehedi told Prothom Alo, JKG leased two archway gates and 20 IP sets from his firm Security Equipment and Logistic Support but the healthcare firm broke an archway gate and damaged three IP sets.

“The JKG is not paying the lease money. I myself met Ariful but did not get the money,” he added.

DB submitted the chargesheet against eight people including Sabrina and Ariful on 5 August 2020 in the case filed over forging the Covid-19 test. Trial is underway in the case and Sabrina and Ariful are behind bars now.

This report appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu and Hasanul Banna