Education adviser gets Tk 10m bribe offer for a top-level appointment

Education adviser Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar (CR Abrar) has disclosed that he was offered a bribe of Tk 10 million in exchange for appointing someone to a high-level position. He said he rejected the offer, emphasising the need for ethical standards among his colleagues.

“I’m not trying to beat my own drum,” said the adviser. “But I do hope my colleagues will uphold the same ethical stance.”

He made the statement while responding to questions from reporters during a press briefing at the secretariat on Wednesday afternoon.

While disclosing the case, Professor CR Abrar said, “Let me give an example. In a certain case, I was lobbied to appoint someone to a major post. A well-known public intellectual also approached me on his behalf. But since the appointment would not have been justified, as the candidate didn’t have a good track record, we rejected the proposal.”

He continued, “Later, he tried to reach me through other channels, offering a large sum of money. I am mentioning the figure – they offered Tk 10 million. The offer was conveyed through someone I know, who works in an institution. That person replied, ‘In this case, I can’t even bring this up to him, and even if I could, he would never agree to it.’”

Referring to the government's stance on corruption, the adviser said they are committed to a policy of zero tolerance, and there is no intention to accommodate corruption in any form.