Authorities of Chittagong University (CU) are gravely worried as members of militant organisations are involved in criminal activities posing themselves as the students of the public university.
Criminals are dodging law enforcement agencies as online central database system and machine-readable identity card system are yet to be developed which can clarify the identity of students.
The ID card forgery incident by the criminals came to the light following the arrest of five alleged members of banned Islamic Outlaw Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from Chittagong city’s Khowajnagar area, Karnaphuli police station on October 5, last year.
During the drive, Detective Branch (DB) police also recovered nine handmade grenades, 120 bullets, foreign-made pistols, and a large quantity of bomb-making materials from the spot.
DB’s Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Babul Akter of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) said: “Javed had rented the house from the landlord showing a forged ID card of the CU.”
“Edited with Photo shop technology, the ID card of CU was made while the militant just changed the real photo and mobile number on the ID and submitted to the owner before renting the house”, added ADC Babul Akter.
Apart from that, the recent arrest of three students of CU’s Physics department who were arrested for JMB link on December 27, last year from Amanbazar area of Hathazari in Chittagong also rose tension at CU administration while police and other intelligence agencies intensified their surveillance on campus and its adjacent areas following the two incidents.
CU had expelled the three students – Naimur Rahman Nayon, Md Shawkat Rasel and Faisal Mahmud for their alleged militant link.
Additional Superintendent of Police (North) Mastafizur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune that police were informed about the CU ID card forgery by the militant. Police suggested the CU authorities finding out how the cards were counterfeit”.
“We also know that the there is no central ID card database system at the universities while university should look into the matter”, added police official Mostafizur.
CU Registrar Professor Dr Kamrul Huda told the Dhaka Tribune that anyone could forge any ID card using technology and it is impossible to detect it. They used to verify the ID card when law enforcing agency contact with the university seeking the information.
“Now, CU will also provide the information of the students if any landlord sought the information in proper way during house rent”, said Prof Kamrul.
Professor Mohammed Shahdat Hossain of CU Computer Science and Engineering Department said: “To evade ID card forgery, CU would introduce machine-readable ID card which known as Bar Code system”.
“If Bar Code system ID card could introduce at CU, it is impossible to counterfeit the data of the ID card while the students would also benefited from that”, said Dr Shahadat.