3 remanded over alleged proxy recruitment scam at public administration ministry
Investigators allege the suspects tried to secure office assistant jobs by using proxy candidates to sit the recruitment examinations on their behalf.
A Dhaka court today (23 July) placed three men on one-day remand and ordered the fourth to be questioned at the jail gate in connection with an alleged proxy recruitment scam involving the Ministry of Public Administration.
Metropolitan Magistrate Aminul Islam Junaid passed the order after hearing a seven-day remand plea filed by the investigation officer.
The three sent on remand are Ali Haider of Sirajganj, Russell Rana Liton of Kurigram and Masud Fakir of Gazipur. The fourth accused, Md Abdul Alim, will be questioned at the jail gate.
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According to the remand petition, the four allegedly secured office assistant jobs at the ministry by using proxy candidates to sit the written and oral recruitment examinations on their behalf.
Officials became suspicious during the joining process after facial verification showed that the four did not match the candidates who had appeared in the written and viva examinations, it added.
The investigation officer sought remand to identify others involved in the alleged fraud.
During the hearing, the defence sought bail and opposed the remand plea, while the prosecution argued that custodial interrogation was necessary for the investigation.
On 19 July, the four were detained at the Secretariat while submitting documents to join as office assistants. The following day, HM Arifur Rahman, an administrative officer at the Ministry of Public Administration, filed a fraud case with Shahbagh Police Station and on 20 July they were sent to jail by a Dhaka court.
According to the case statement, 23,709 candidates applied for 20 office assistant posts. A total of 9,318 sat the written examination on 19 May, of whom 107 were shortlisted for the viva voce held on 24, 25 and 28 June.
The ministry announced the final list of 20 successful candidates on 6 July. When the four reported for joining on 19 July, officials noticed that their faces did not match the photographs taken during the viva examinations.
During questioning, the four reportedly admitted that other people had taken the recruitment examinations on their behalf.
