Question leak: Six PSC officials, 11 others arrested

At least 17 people, including six officials of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission, have been arrested by the CID for their alleged involvement in leaking questions of government job exams.

Six PSC officials are deputy directors Abu Jafar and Jahangir Alam, Assistant Director Alamgir Kabir, Office Assistant Sajedul Islam, Auditor Priyonath Roy, office staff Khalilur Rahman, and former PSC driver Syed Abed Ali, according to the Criminal Investigation Department.

The other arrestees are Abu Solaiman Md Sohel, former Chhatra League leader and trader; Shahadat Hossain, a security guard of the Narayanganj passport office; Niamun Hasan, medical technician of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Sakhawat Hossain, a trader; Sayem Hossain, Liton Sarker, Sayed Sohanur Rahman Siam, son of Abed, Jahidul Islam, Mamunur Rashid, and Noman Siddiqi.

Touhidul Islam, special superintendent of CID's cyber investigation and operation, told The Daily Star, "We have arrested them after conducting raids in different areas over the last two days."

"The arrestees were involved in leaking questions of the deputy assistant engineer recruitment test of Bangladesh Railway held on July 5. They were also involved in the leak of questions of multiple non-cadre examinations."

"We are interrogating them at the CID office," he said, adding that a case was filed against the arrestees with Paltan Police Station in connection with leaking question papers.

According to sources, Abed Ali, driver of a former PSC chairman, was involved in the question leak. His son Sohanur, a Chhatra League leader, was also involved.

Abed Ali, of Dasar upazila, owns crores of taka.

His son Sohan studied abroad and then at a private university in the country. It is also learnt that Abed has two multi-storey buildings in Dhaka and a luxurious house in Madaripur.

Abed also campaigned seeking candidacy for the post of chairman in the last upazila parishad election.

Earlier, Channel 24 aired an investigative report on the question leak. There have been allegations of question paper leak in various PSC examinations, including for cadre and non-cadre posts, said the report.

According to the report, questions of the test for recruiting 516 people in Bangladesh Railway were leaked.

The report said question papers of 30 cadre and non-cadre examinations, including BCS, were leaked and some PSC officials were involved. The racket has amassed a huge amount of money by selling questions, the report added.

Sources in the CID said arrested PSC Office Assistant Sajedul took the railway recruitment exam question paper from Deputy Director Jafar.

The racket made around Tk 2 crore leaking the question papers.

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Sajedul earlier leaked questions of PSC exams and driver Abed abetted him, the sources added.

In another development, Dhaka north city Chhatra League yesterday relieved Abed's son Sohanur, relief and disaster management secretary of the unit, for his alleged involved in leaking questions.

A press release of the unit said Sohanur was removed due to his involvement in anti-organisational and unethical activities.

In another development, the Public Service Commission yesterday said there was no scope for leaking questions of cadre and non-cadre exams held over the last 12 years.

There have been no complaints from any quarters about the exams, said a PSC statement.

The negative report aired by Channel 24 about the exams has tarnished the image of the institution.

The reporter concerned got a copy of a question via WhatsApp an hour before the exam, the statement said, adding that to ensure transparency and prevent question leaks, at least six sets of questions are prepared for each BCS exam and at least four sets for any non-cadre tests.

A lottery is held to determine which set will be used 30 to 35 minutes before a test begins, it said.

"The same procedures were followed for the July 5 recruitment test."

If any person or groups are found to be involved in leaking questions or cheating in this exam, the commission will take action against them following a probe, it added.