Five arrested over forging PM, ministers' signatures
DB says the syndicate had sent a letter to the expatriates' welfare minister recommending the reinstatement of a dismissed employee using forged signatures of PM, 4 ministers, and 2 joint secretaries.
The Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police has arrested five people for allegedly forging the signatures, seals, and official letterheads of senior government officials to prepare fake recommendation letters.
According to the DB, the group sent a forged letter to the expatriates' welfare minister recommending the reinstatement of Faruk Hossain, a former ministry project employee who was dismissed on corruption charges in 2013. The letter allegedly carried forged signatures of the prime minister, four ministers and two joint secretaries.
DB Chief and Additional Police Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam disclosed the matter at a press briefing at the DB headquarters on Minto Road in the capital today (4 August).
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The five arrested are Md Faruk Hossain, 41, Sakib Khan, 25, Masum Munsi, 45, Mir Tauhidul Islam, 36, and Md Bokul Mondal, 35.
Shafiqul said the DB's Cyber (South) Division launched an investigation after receiving a complaint from the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment. Detectives later arrested four of the suspects from Madaripur's Kalkini Upazila and the remaining one from Kushtia.
During the raids, detectives recovered 41 counterfeit seals bearing the names of ministers, state ministers, members of parliament and other senior government officials, he added.
They also seized six bundles of forged official letterheads of secretaries and MPs, eight mobile phones, two desktop computers and a laptop allegedly used to produce the forged documents.
The DB chief further said recruitment, promotions and postings in government offices are carried out under established rules.
He urged people not to be misled by such fraudulent schemes.
