Exam papers stolen from trunks, photocopied in office chamber, smuggled in underwear

“That SIM has run out of balance. Dad, send a message; I’m waking everyone up. Have you taken money from anyone?” Comes the reply from the other end: “It’s raining; I’ll speak once I’m free. How many have you taken so far?” The response comes: “50 people will be cleared now.”

This exchange took place between Syed Abed Ali, a former driver for the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC), and his son, Syed Sohanur Rahman Siam.

In another text message sent by a member of this syndicate, it reads: “Ibrahim Bhai, the work on the 5th is 100 per cent confirmed. Not a single point will stray. Trusting in Allah, I give you my word—I will deliver every single task 100/100 to you. All money must be cleared by the 21st. Send a PDF of each application one day before formal submission. Once we check and give clearance, you may submit.”

In another message to a candidate, it is said, “It is essential to complete this job, brother. We must help this candidate succeed in the viva on the 3rd.”

Instructions follow from the other side: “Tomorrow, please make time to pay the money for the Land Records candidate. And leave the money for the Sub-Assistant Engineer’s viva before you go.” To clear the written examination, the demand is made: “Bhai, if you want to pass the written exam, it will cost Tk 700,000.”

Regarding the railway recruitment examination papers, another message reads: “Money is required upfront—Tk 100,000. Must be paid now. The results will be published within two to three days.” The person on the other end says: “Do not say anything until I give clearance... How is the other group? What is the status of the group of 12?”

Numerous WhatsApp messages recovered by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) reveal an extensive network involved in question paper leaks and job-peddling across various government recruitment examinations, including the BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service) and BPSC (Bangladesh Public Service Commission) non-cadre tests.

Although driver Syed Abed Ali was the public face of the operation, the masterminds of these dealings were some officials and employees inside the PSC, alongside a syndicate within the Government Printing Press (BG Press).

According to court sources, following a lengthy investigation, investigating officer and CID Additional Superintendent of Police Suman Kumar Saha submitted a charge sheet against 55 individuals on 18 May. Among them, 37 face a separate money laundering probe.

Of the 55 accused, 26 were arrested; one remains in prison, while 25 others—including Abed Ali and Siam—are currently out on bail. Twenty-nine suspects remain at large.

Owing to lack of evidence, the CID recommended discharging Md. Zakaria Rahman, an officer of the 31st BCS Police Cadre, from the case. However, although Md. Golam Hamidur Rahman, Hamidul Islam Zia, Md. Mahabub Alam, and Azad were involved in the incident, the investigative agency has yet to verify their full names and addresses.

On 9 July 2024, CID Sub-Inspector Nippon Chandra Chanda filed the case at Paltan Police Station. On 15 September, the court instructed that the names of the absconding accused be published in newspapers via public notice by 25 October.

The most shocking details regarding the theft of question papers emerged around BPSC Office Assistant Md. Sajedul Islam (Accused No. 4 in the case). In January 2024, Sajedul devised the primary scheme to steal question papers for the recruitment examination of Sub-Assistant Engineers for Bangladesh Railway, conducted by the BPSC.

According to investigative case files, Sajedul took advantage of the absence of BPSC officer Golam Faruq prior to the examination. Obtaining the key from BPSC cleaner Rupan Chandra Das, he entered Golam Faruq's chamber. Using a hacksaw blade he had brought along, he cut open the lock of a trunk to extract four sets of handwritten question papers meant for final moderation. Unwilling to risk taking them outside, he photocopied all four sets on the official photocopying machine inside the chamber itself. He then placed the original question papers back into the trunk exactly as they were and relocked it, ensuring no external suspicion was raised.

To prevent the leaked papers from originating from a single source, Sajedul had the questions typed up piecemeal at various computer shops across Dhaka, including Dainik Bangla Road and Shantinagar. Two days before the railway recruitment examination, Sajedul met Abed Ali in front of the Ramna Park gate and handed over the four sets of questions (comprising 800 multiple-choice questions in total). In return, Sajedul personally received Tk 7.5 million.

Sajedul’s involvement extended beyond the railways recruitment tests; he played an active role in leaking the preliminary question papers for the 46th BCS examination as well. Sajedul and Khalilur Rahman supplied 17 candidates to Abu Solaiman Md. Sohel, 13 of whom passed. Sajedul pocketed Tk 1.6 million from this transaction alone.

Furthermore, a major portion of the approximately Tk 8 million collected from 40 candidates for the Polytechnic Junior Instructor recruitment exam went straight into Sajedul’s pockets.

The CID has uncovered vast assets registered under his name and pseudonyms across various parts of the country. In a statement given under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Sajedul confessed to all his crimes before the court.

Outside the BPSC, the primary source of leaked question papers was the BG Press. Investigations revealed that binding worker Mohammad Akram Hossain and cleaner Majnu Miah bypassed strict security measures to smuggle out the papers.

Akram had long-standing ties with ATM Golam Mostafa, a compositor at BG Press and a fugitive accused in the case. In 2012, Akram sold the preliminary examination papers for the BCS to Mostafa for Tk 260,000. The investigation detailed how Akram extracted the printed papers: while packaging the questions, he would discreetly slip into the washingroom to photograph them on his mobile phone. On other occasions, he would tuck complete question papers inside his underwear to carry them outside.

Cleaner Majnu Miah similarly smuggled question papers out by hiding them in his underwear. All sets of question papers for the Railway Sub-Assistant Engineer examination were brought outside of the BG Press through Akram and Majnu, before being supplied to ATM Golam Mostafa and Mizanur Rahman for vast sums of money.

According to the CID, this constituted the most secret and secure layer of the leak ring.

Md. Khalilur Rahman, accused No. 3 in the case, had worked as a dispatch writer at the BPSC since 2005. In 2012, he was caught red-handed and dismissed from service for leaking written examination papers for the 33rd BCS. However, he was reinstated to his BPSC post in 2022. Upon his return, Khalilur engaged in leaking question papers on an even larger scale. Assisted by his neighbour Bipash Chakma, he procured question papers to sell to job applicants.

Investigative findings show that for the railway recruitment exams, Khalilur took Tk 120,000 from Niamul Hasan, Tk 800,000 from Anisur Rahman, Tk 400,000 from Mahbubur Alam, and Tk 400,000 from MM Najmul Hasan. Out of the funds collected from various individuals, he handed over Tk 3.5 million to Sajedul Islam. On the day preceding the railway exam alone, Khalilur presented 98 examinees directly to Sajedul.

Upon Khalilur’s arrest, the CID seized mobile phones, exam admit cards, multiple-choice question sets, cheques, stamp papers, as well as a secret diary and notebook. The diary contained meticulous financial accounts listing job seekers’ names, mobile numbers, transaction amounts, and registration numbers.

Atikul Islam became involved in leaking question papers in 2001. After a relative of his became a member, Atikul began visiting the BPSC regularly and discovered the BG Press-based syndicate.

Atikul and BG Press worker Golam Mostafa were arrested while renting a resort named 'Bhinno Jogot' in Rangpur to leak question papers for the secondary school assistant teacher recruitment examination in 2010.

When Atikul was jailed, his driver Md. Mizanur Rahman and Mizanur’s brother-in-law Md. Al Mamun ran the network in his stead, later aligning themselves with Syed Abed Ali’s group.

Brought into the illicit business by Atikul was his younger brother, Md. Mojahedul Islam, 36. Prior to the 35th BCS examination, Mojahedul and his friends memorised four sets of leaked questions—totaling around 800 questions—at a residence in Manipuri Para, Dhaka. The exact same questions appeared in the exam.

Later, in 2018, Mojahedul obtained the complete question sets for the administrative officer recruitment examination under the Department of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) from his elder brother Atikul prior to the test. Taking the exam with those leaked papers, he successfully secured the position of Administrative Officer.

Once employed as a government official, Mojahedul became a full-fledged “question paper merchant” himself. For the Railway Sub-Assistant Engineer exam alone, he collected nearly Tk 10 million from candidates, depositing Tk 3 million into the Dutch-Bangla Bank account of Abed Ali’s firm, 'Rashida Traders'.

Earlier in 2023, he collected Tk 600,000 per person from 29 candidates and Tk 900,000 per individual from 14 candidates for the positions of Instructor and Junior Instructor under the Technical Education Board.

For the 45th BCS, he kept three candidates at a guesthouse in Kalyanpur to have them memorise the question papers. He subsequently invested his illicit earnings into various domestic and overseas businesses.

Md. Noman Siddique discovered the syndicate in 2015 while searching for medical exam question papers for his wife. He has been acquainted with Khalilur Rahman since 2014. Obtaining the medical question papers and selling them to Khalilur marked his debut in this underworld.

Later, he established an exclusive monopoly over collecting and selling question papers for recruitment exams across various sectors—including Assistant Revenue Officer, ATEO, Senior Staff Nurse, Assistant Personal Officer, the Ministry of Defence, and the Teacher Registration examinations.

The CID discovered approximately Tk 120 million in 14 bank accounts held under Noman's personal and corporate names. Using the proceeds from question paper leaks, he established a garment factory named 'Ittehad Fashion & Apparels' in Ashulia.

The ultimate coordinator of this entire network was former BPSC driver Syed Abed Ali Jibon. Having joined the BPSC in 1997, he drove official cars for then-chairmen Mujibur Rahman Biswas and Mozammel Huq.

Exploiting internal vulnerabilities, he initially built a network of proxy examinees. By placing two fake candidates on either side of an actual candidate during examinations, the proxies would dictate the answers to the main applicant. Earning between Tk 100,000 to 150,000 per job, he accumulated an initial Tk 2.5 million.

Between 2000 and 2005, he solidified his position by securing government jobs for individuals in exchange for payments. After leaving his job in 2013, he teamed up with Khalilur through Mahfuz Kalu in 2015.

Under the guise of securing jobs as Revenue Officers at the NBR, he transacted Tk 3.2 million with Atikul and Tk 3.6 million with Kalu. The CID traced Tk 412.9 million across 12 bank accounts owned by Abed Ali and his business entities. For the Railway Sub-Assistant Engineer exam, he fielded 44 candidates, collecting nearly Tk 40 million in advance.