7 gangs in question paper leak, ex-PSC member, police officer involved too

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police has identified seven gangs who were involved with leaking of question papers of different government recruitment tests. The gangs were involved with leaking question papers in nine recruitment tests including BCS and non-cadre posts.

The gangs not only just leaked the question papers, they would rent houses where the examinees were tutored on the answers of leaked questions.

The CID has already arrested 22 members of the gangs. Seven of them confessed to their crimes in court. They disclosed 35 names involved with the gang. Among them are a former member of Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) and a police officer.

The people who confessed in court are former PSC driver Syed Abed Ali (head of the Abed Ali group), office assistant Sajedul Islam (head of the Sajedul group) and dispatch rider Md Khalilur Rahman (head of the Khalilur Rahman group), Zahidul Islam (head of the Zahidul group) and water filter businessman Sakhawat Hossain (head of the Sakhawat group). In addition, Liton Sarkar, a member of the Zahidul group, and Saim Hossain of the Sakhawat group have given confessional statements.

They confessed to leaking question papers of nine recruitment examinations between 2000 and 2024. A former member of PSC and a deputy director were behind the crime.

The recruitment exams that saw question paper leak are BCS, deputy assistant engineer of Bangladesh Railway, thana assistant education officer, Palli Sanchay Bank, auditor, National Board of Revenue’s (NBR) assistant revenue officer, deputy assistant engineer of housing and public works, junior instructor of polytechnic institute, instructor and junior instructor of Technical Education Board and senior staff nurse of health department.

CID on 8 July arrested 17 people including Abed Ali, two deputy directors and an assistant director. Five more were arrested later. Abed Ali hogged the headlines for amassing huge wealth through the question paper leak.

A case has been filed with Paltan police station under public examination law. CID is investigating the case. Several officials involved with the question paper leak told Prothom Alo that these persons would leak any recruitment test of PSC. They leaked the question paper of deputy assistant engineer post of Bangladesh Railway on 5 July. As per the contract, they would leak question papers and keep the examinees in unknown places to provide them with answers.

Al Amin, Mahmudul Hasan (Manna), Wasim, Sumon Bose, Bipash Chakma and an additional police superintendent of police headquarters were the members of Syed Abed Ali gang.

Abu Solaiman Sohel is a member of Sajedul Islam gang. A deputy director of PSC, MLSS Delowar Hossain, former army member Noman Siddique, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital’s medical technologist Neyamul Hasan, Agargaon residents Mahbub and Azad are members of Khalilur Rahman gang.

BG Press employee Atiqur Rahman alias Atiq's gang includes his maternal uncle, a member of the PSC, younger brother, administrative officer of the Information and Communication Technology division Md Mojahidul Islam, aunt Shiuli Begum, BG Press compositor ATM Golam Mostafa, compositor Shahidul Islam and driver Mizanur Rahman (Mustafa's relative), Mizanur's brother-in-law Al Mamun, Chandpur residents Mahbubur Rahman alias Dipu, Hamidul Islam alias Zia, Jewel and Shahid from Comilla.

Mahfuz is the member of the gang of Mahfuzur Rahman, a teacher at a women's college in Kishoreganj upazila of Nilphamari.

Khokon and Liton Sarkar are in the gang of Zahidul Islam and Saim Hossain in the gang of Sakhawat Hossain.

Asked about the development on 3 December, CID Cyber Police Center’s (CPC) outgoing Deputy Inspector General (DIG) SN Md Nazrul Islam told Prothom Alo that the investigation over the question paper leak is going on. If involvement of the PSC member and the police officer is found during the investigation, action would be taken against them. The PSC member in question is now retired.

Abed Ali said in his deposition that he joined the PSC as a driver in 1997. He brought the candidates for the railway’s deputy assistant engineer to office assistant Sajedul on 5 July. He made a deal of Tk 800,000 to Tk 1 million to provide questions to each candidate, as well as received payment in advance. Abed received the typed question papers at the gate of Ramna Park through Sajedul. He gave Sajedul Tk 7.5 million for supplying the questions. He set up a booth at a resort in the Radio Colony area of Savar and provided questions to 44 candidates who made deals with him.

Abed Ali told the court that when he met a college teacher in Kishoreganj of Nilphamari in 2005 he learned that, like him, Mahfuz can also offer jobs at the government high schools. He was introduced to certain Atikur Rahman from Rangpur through Mahfuz in 2015. Atik told Abed Ali that he arranges jobs for the revenue officer position under the National Board of Revenue.

Sajedul Islam said in depositions to the court that he has been working at the PSC for 20 years. He leaked question papers of various PSC recruitment tests through BG Press employee Atik, who was close to PSC office assistant Khalilur Rahman.

Sajedul leaked the question papers of the recruitment test for the railway’s deputy assistant engineer post on 5 July from the chamber of a PSC member. Sajedul Islam said in his deposition that he learned from ring member Abu Solaiman alias Sohel that the question papers of the 46th BCS examinations slated for 2024 will be leaked. So, he placed 17 candidates to Solaimanm, and PSC office assistant Khalilur Rahman gave him 12 of those candidates. Before that, question papers were composed at various places including Dainik Bangla intersection and Malibagh. After that, four secret booths were set up in Dhaka and candidates were informed of the answers.

Khalilur Rahman confessed that he joined the PSC as a dispatch rider in 2005. He later learned that Abed Ali leaked question papers of BCS and various non-cadre recruitment tests. Abed Ali asked him to manage non-cadre recruitment test candidates and got acquainted with him out of his greed for money. Ring members Niamul, Anisur, Mahbubur and Azad took Tk 1.5 million in advance from candidates who made deals with them and gave him the money. He then gave Sajdul a total of 3.5 million including that 1.5 million.

Khalilur told the court that a deputy director of the PSC was also involved in leaking question papers.

Mojahedul Islam said in his deposition that his elder brother Atikur Rahman was involved in leaking question papers after 2001 and leaked question papers of several recruitment tests including assistant revenue officer, thana assistant education officer, senior staff nurse, auditors and Palli Sanchay Bank officers. Mojahedul said he was involved in leaking question papers of the 35th BCS examinations and the railway deputy assistant engineer recruitment post in July. He was also involved in leaking question papers of the recruitment tests of instructors and junior instructors at Bangladesh Technical Education Board in 2023.

Mojahedul Islam said he was introduced to the question paper leak rings after one of their relatives (Atik) joined the PSC. A large number of candidates became BCS cadres via leaked questions from the 24th, 25th and 27th BCS examinations. A candidate became a police official via leaked questions of the 30th BCS. Abed Ali used this police official to pressure the rival gangs. The official also intimidated other gangs and helped Abed to secure his work.

The official, currently an additional superintendent of police, is now with the police headquarters. When contacted, the official told Prothom Alo, “There is no way that I became a BSC officer studying leaked questions rather I helped CID catch those who are involved in question leak. People who were arrested might make such allegations out of anger. Besides, I never intimidated anyone.”

The inquiry committee that the PSC formed following the allegation of question paper leaks found no evidence related to it, former PSC chairman Md Sohrab Hossain told Prothom Alo recently.

Regarding question paper leaks, recruitment expert and former additional secretary Firoz Mia told Prothom Alo on 14 December the first task to prevent question paper leaks is to hand over the responsibility to honest and good officials, or else questions will be leaked. A single individual cannot leak questions, it is a group task.

He further said competent a chairman and members must be appointed to PSC. Besides, a separate committee will have to be formed with honest officials to prevent question leaks and those who are found to be involved in it must face punishment. It will not be acceptable that the PSC saying no question leaks happened even after the confessional statement of the accused at the court, he added.