More edu ministry officials in Lakehead scam

Lakehead Grammar School
Lakehead Grammar School

A couple more persons in the education ministry, other than the arrested personal officer of the education minister and a staff member, have been involved in bribes for the unlawful reopening of the Lakehead Grammar School, said a case statement.

According to the case statement filed by deputy inspector general (DIG) of police Monirul Islam with the Banani police station last Monday, the accused had taken Tk 430,000 from the owner of Lakehead Grammar School, Khaled Hasan Motin. The identities of the accused are not mentioned in the statement though.

The police are not investigating the accusations against Md. Motaleb Hossain, PO of the education minister, and Md. Nasiruddin, an upper division clerk, on the grounds that the law under which the case was filed relates to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC)’s authority.

ACC chairman Iqbal Mahmood also confirmed to the media on Tuesday that the case would be investigated by the commission. He said the police are to investigate whether the school owner was involved in militancy or not.

Though the police presented the three defendants in court on Tuesday, they did not seek remand for interrogation.

The police only sought their imprisonment till the investigation ended. This was granted by the Dhaka metropolitan magistrate, denying the defendants’ bail petitions.

According to the case statement, Lakehead Grammar School chairman Khaled and his collaborator Asif were trying to reopen the school, violating the court order.

Nasir and Motaleb went to the RM group office at Banani on 16 December by a vehicle belonging to Khaled. A Tk 430,000 bribe was agreed upon, according to the statement.

On 18 December Nasir took Tk 50,000 from Khaled at the RM group office and later took Tk 50,000 on 25 December and once again took Tk 200,000 on 11 January. The money was shared among Motaleb and a couple of others of the education ministry.

In return, these officials, as the statement goes, handed over confidential documents regarding the school to Khaled and Asif.

DIG Monirul in his statement mentioned that on 22 January afternoon, police followed Nasir to Banani where he was found carrying Tk 130,000. Later, Nasir helped the police to identify Khaled at the RM group office at Banani and Motaleb’s involvement with them was traced. Motaleb was then arrested on Tuesday from Dhanmondi.

The statement also includes accused Khaled of motivating his friend Rezwan Harun to militancy.

Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Tuesday told the media said Motaleb and Nasir would be suspended.

*The report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Nusrat Nowrin.