Proxy exam – another dark side of Buet Chhatra League

After the murder of Abrar Fahad, the dark chapters of the Buet unit of Chhatra League keep on unfolding one after another.

Running a proxy-exam writing racket is reported to have been the latest revelation of their another offence.

Many Buet students alleged the Buet Chhatra League men were involved in giving proxy for admission seekers in different universities and also in leaking question papers.

At least 15 former and current students claimed Chhatra League leaders asked them to sit for university admission tests as substitute candidates, offering them a good amount of money.

Arranging proxy exam takers what Chhatra League leaders found was a lucrative way of earning, they said.

These leaders used to force residential students of different halls of the Buet to give proxy for other examinees.

Talking to The Business Standard, a 16th batch student from the civil engineering department, seeking anonymity, said he was forced to appear at the exam table as a substitute candidate in 2018.

"I was a residential student of Dr MA Rashid Hall. Some BCL members of the hall offered me to sit for an admission test in Jagannath University in place of a real candidate. They allured me saying I could earn more than what I got from tuition," the student added.

The then joint secretary of the MA Rashid Hall Chhatra League – Jhalak – assured him that he would not fall in any trouble.

"Jhalak bhai also told me they had a good relationship with the exam centre authorities. And Chhatra League members would also be there for his help if he faced any problem," the student further said.

On the admission test day, two Chhatra League members first took him to the City College, an exam centre, by a motorcycle and gave him at least 10-12 admit cards of different admission seekers.

"I tried to go back but could not. Finally, they took me to the Government Laboratory High School centre, and I sat for the exam as a fake candidate," the student expressed resentment.

He also said the Buet students who gave proxy exams were paid at least Tk20,000 to Tk30,000 each.

Another student from the computer science engineering department said he was also asked to give proxy for an admission seeker but refused the offer.

He also said, during every admission season, many exam takers used to stay in the rooms of Chhatra League leaders. These leaders had a connection with several university coaching centres in doing this kind of illegal activities.

"For supplying a fake candidate to an admission seeker, Buet Chhatra League leaders got Tk4-5 lakh. And they forced general meritorious students to do this job in exchange for money," he added.

"They used to take advantage of blurred photos on admit cards for university admission tests. They promised general students that law enforcers and university admission authorities would not trace them as fake," he further said.

Another former student from the mechanical engineering department claimed he also got an offer to give proxy from Chhatra League members in 2016 but denied to take it.

"In 2018, I wondered to see one of my juniors from the CSE department in the Cuet examination test. I went there with my younger sister for her admission test. When he saw me on the Cuet campus, he ran away and later admitted he took part in the exam as a proxy examinee," he added.

Another student from the civil engineering department, who was also forced to sit for an admission test in the Shahjalal University of Science and technology (Sust) in 2018, said they had gone to Sylhet by a luxurious microbus.

"The original student was in the Titumir Hall, and I went to the Sust for the admission test, and finally he got himself among the first 100 on the merit list and got admission at the CSE department of that university," he further said.

Wishing to be unnamed, the then joint secretary of Buet Chhatra League also admitted to this kind of illegal activities in the hall.

He also said one of his roommates also took part in an admission test at the East West University as a proxy candidate.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police's intelligence sources said a few number of Buet students are involved in the proxy exam racket.

Sources also said Chhatra League members Farhan Jawad Chowdhury, Mainuddin Hasan Shourab, Niladri, Ayon, Minhaz and Mehedi were also involved in the racket.

In the last four years, law enforcers also arrested at least 10 students on charges of sitting for proxy examinations.

When contacted, Zamius Sani, president of the Buet Chhtra League, declined to make any comment in this matter.