The Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Tuesday sent 17 people, including five Bangladesh Public Service Commission officials and a former driver of the commission, to jail over allegations of question papers leaking in various government recruitment tests.
Magistrate Tahmina Haque sent them to jail after the Criminal Investigation Department produced them before her court.
Seven of the accused, including PSC chairman鈥檚 former driver Syed Abed聽 Ali, office assistant Khalilur Rahman, office assistant聽 (dispatch) Sajedul Islam, Daffodil International University student Liton Sarkar, traders Abu Solaiman Md Sohel, Sakhawat Hossain, and Saim Hossain, confessed to their involvement in question paper leaks before the court.
The court also sent Abed Ali鈥檚 son Syed Sohanur Rahman, PSC deputy directors Md Abu Zafar and Md Jahangir Alam, assistant director SM Alamgir Kabir, Narayanganj Passport Office security guard Shahdat Hossain, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College technician Niamul Hasan, Department of Immigration and Passports office assistant Mamunur Rashid, Gazipur Cantonment auditor Priyonath Roy, traders Noman Siddique and Jahidul Islam.
PSC formed a three-member probe committee headed by its joint secretary Abdul Alim Khan to investigate the question paper leak allegation and suspended five of its officials accused in the scandal on Tuesday under the Government Service Act 2018, said PSC public relations officer SM Matiur Rahman.聽
Earlier on Monday, the CID filed a case under the Public Service Commission Act with the Paltan police station, said Md Sento Mia, the officer-in-charge of the police station.
The case was filed against 17 people arrested by CID on Monday, 14 fugitives, and 50鈥�60 unnamed persons who were allegedly involved in leaking question papers for various cadre and non-cadre recruitment tests.
CID鈥檚 additional special superintendent of police and also the investigation officer of the case, Jewel Chakma, told 抖阴精品 that they suspect two to three parallel rings involved in leaking question papers for various cadre and non-cadre recruitment tests.
He said that on Wednesday they would seek a 10-day remand for 10 accused who did not confess to their involvement in leaking question papers.
The allegations of question paper leaks in the cadre and non-cadre recruitment tests came to light after a private television channel on Sunday reported that the gang had leaked question papers for the recruitment test of Bangladesh Railway on July 5.
The CID official said the PSC chairman鈥檚 former driver, Syed Abed Ali, confessed to the court that he had been involved in leaking question papers since 2005.
Abed Ali and his family鈥檚 luxurious lifestyle dominated the talk on social media platforms following his arrest on the allegation of leaking question papers for various cadre and non-cadre recruitment tests.
Abed鈥檚 son Siam, was the ruling Awami League鈥檚 student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League鈥檚 Dhaka north city unit鈥檚 relief and disaster management secretary.
After his arrest, BCL Dhaka north city unit in a press release on Monday, relived Siam of his post.
Abed was terminated from his job in 2014 for his role question paper leak. He took the PSC job as a driver using fake addresses, PSC officials told 抖阴精品.
Abed鈥檚 Facebook showed he recently started campaigning to contest for the chairman post in the newly formed Dasar upazila in Madaripur.
Many social media users took note of his benevolent activities as a possible candidate for mayor in Dasar upazila parishad election.
Abed recently declared his intention to invest in Hotel Sun Marina, which is located close to Kuakata Beach in Patuakhali.聽
Liberty Group managing director Mosharraf Hossain, who originally owned Hotel Sun Marina in Kuakata, denies any business ties with Abed, reported 抖阴精品 correspondent in Barishal.
Mosharraf said that Abed visited the site four months ago, expressing his interest in buying shares, but he never saw or knew him personally.
Addressing a press briefing at the PSC headquarters on Tuesday, PSC chairman Md Sohorab Hossain said that the July 5 tests for the recruitment for the post of deputy assistant engineer of Bangladesh Railway would be cancelled if the allegations of the question paper leak were found to be true.
鈥楾here have been allegations of question paper leaks over the past 12 years, but proving them now seems unlikely,鈥� United News of Bangladesh quoted him as saying in the press conference.
鈥業f the allegations regarding the July 5 railway recruitment exam are proven, we will declare it void promptly. There is no doubt about it,鈥� he said.
