In response to accusations on social media, musician Tahsan Rahman Khan has said he never took the BCS exam, and Syed Abed Ali – now in the spotlight because of a question leak scandal – was never a chauffeur for his mother Zinatun Nesa Tahmida Begum when she was chairman of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission.
Currently in the United States, Tahsan clarified to the Bangla daily Prothom Alo on Wednesday that he had never sat for the exam, saying people understood that these were fake news and many were already speaking against them on various platforms.
Composer Prince Mahmud also expressed his anger over the rumours, criticizing the spread of such news to divert public attention.
"Both of Tahsan's parents are very honest people. I have known them since childhood. Tahsan grew up like any other child of ordinary government officials. I never saw any luxury. All of Tahsan's achievements are due to his music. These rumours are being spread to shelter the real corrupt individuals."
Prof Zinatun Nesa Tahmida Begum was chairman of the BPSC from May 2002 to May 2007. Abed Ali was a driver at the BPSC from 1997 to 2014.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) earlier this week arrested Syed Abed Ali and 16 others in connection with the leak of the Bangladesh Railway's sub-assistant engineer recruitment exam question papers.
Among those arrested were two deputy directors and one assistant director of the BPSC, along with five officials and employees.
Five arrestees later gave confessional statements in court. In his statement, Abed admitted to being involved in leaking questions for various recruitment exams under the BPSC since 2005. Through this, he accumulated significant wealth, including two houses and three flats in Dhaka, as well as expensive cars.
Various reports indicate that Abed Ali was a driver for a former BPSC chairman.
Former chairman Mohammad Sadiq said Abed Ali had not been his driver. He added that Abed had been dismissed before his tenure and that he had never seen him.
One media outlet claimed that Abed Ali had been a driver for former BPSC chairman Prof Zinatun Nesa, sparking discussions that her son Tahsan ranked first in the foreign affairs cadre from the 24th BCS during her tenure as chairman.
The report added that later, when the exam was cancelled and re-conducted, he failed the viva voice.
Syed Abed Ali was dismissed from the BPSC in 2014 due to his involvement in question paper leaks.
Meanwhile, according to BPSC sources, Abed was never a driver for any chairman; he was a chauffeur for a joint secretary.