Detectives arrest questions leak gang, including upazila vice-chairman

Detectives have arrested 10 people, including a woman upazila vice-chairman, over their suspected involvement in leaking question papers and cheating through using digital devices in a government recruitment test held on Friday.

The law enforcers have also seized six digital devices, three leaked question papers and some smartphones from the possession of the arrestees, AKM Hafiz Akhter, additional commissioner (detectives) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said on Saturday.

The Detective Branch (DB) of police made the arrests and seizures during drives in the capital's Mirpur, Kakrail and Tejgaon Industrial Area on Friday, Hafiz told journalists at the DMP media centre.  

He said the arrestees include Mahbuba Nasrin Rupa, vice-chairman of Dhupchanchia Upazila in Bogura, and Mahmudul Hasan Azad, a suspended officer at the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh.

The other arrestees are examinees of the test and students having expertise in solving such questions, Hafiz said.

They are Noman Siddique, Al Amin Rony, Nahid Hasan, Shahid Ullah, Tanjir Ahmed, Razu Ahmed, Hasibul Hasan and Rakibul Hasan.

Azad, Nahid and Al Amin had earlier been arrested thrice – back in 2013, 2016 and 2019 – for similar crimes.

Apart from collecting clients, Mahbuba also took part in yesterday's examination for jobs with the office of the Controller General Defence Finance, Hafiz said.

This gang leaked questions soon after the test began at 3:00pm on Friday. They were also providing their clients with answers through digital devices, the DB official said.

According to the detectives, the ring also provided people who would appear in place of the candidates concerned at various recruitment exams in exchange for money.

The gang made an agreement with their clients of Tk14-16 lakh on arranging jobs through fraudulent means. They took a small amount first for helping them pass Friday's multiple-choice questions (MCQ) test and would take the rest of the amount during viva and after their joining, Hafiz said.

As the test began, the fraudsters collected questions and sent them to their one-stop centre where they solved them and provided answers through devices.

The devices look like regular ATM cards which work like mobile phones and tiny wireless ball-like earphones used for two-way communications. These devices along with watches and mobile phones were used to cheat in tests.

Replying to a query, DB officials said they will share their findings and information with the authorities concerned, who will decide the fate of Friday's test.