The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has so far uncovered evidence implicating approximately 40 individuals in the Technical Education Board certificate fraud.
Speaking recently to Dhaka Tribune, a high-ranking official from the Detective Branch revealed that those involved in the certificate fraud scheme were teachers from both Monthly Payment Order (MPO) and non-MPO technical colleges and institutes. These individuals were responsible for soliciting clients, managing transactions, and distributing certificates among their clients.
The official further said that Senior System Analyst Engineer AKM Shamsuzzaman of the Technical Education Board orchestrated and directed the syndicate's operations, controlling and monitoring its activities centrally.
The DMP official also alleged that Ali Akbar Khan, recently retired chairman of the Technical Education Board, his wife Sehela Parveen, and board exam controller Kefayet Ullah were purportedly members of the syndicate's advisory board, overseeing its operations.
They acted as advisers rather than directly assuming responsibility, aiming to evade suspicion if the syndicate's activities were ever exposed and to institutionalize Shamsuzzaman's fraudulent endeavors, the DMP official claimed.
To date, the law enforcement agencies have arrested six individuals, including system analyst AKM Shamsuzzaman, terminated computer operator Faisal Ahmed, director of Kushtia Garai Survey Institute Sanjida Koli, principal of Kamrangirchar Hillful Fuzal Technical College Sardar Golam Mostafa, and director of Jatrabari Dhaka Technical School and College Maksudur Rahman Mamun. These individuals have made confessional statements under Section 164 in court.
Meanwhile, the retired chairman and his wife have been remanded after being apprehended, and approximately 30 individuals from various professions are under surveillance and may face legal action in due course, according to police and government sources.
According to the sources, over the past seven years, the syndicate has distributed approximately 5,500 certificates. Various criteria dictate student pass rates to obtain and maintain MPO status, prompting those involved to resort to procuring fake certificates.
The process of forging certificates involved several stages, with fake certificates being sold for significant sums. Initially, corrections were made to informational errors in the certificates, followed by the issuance of certificates to students who had failed or received low marks.
Additionally, the syndicate focused on facilitating individuals seeking employment abroad by providing technical education certificates, which eased visa and job procurement processes. Syndicate members also compiled lists of job seekers. Educational institution directors, principals, and senior teachers obtained fake certificates upon request from the board's system analyst AKM Shamsuzzaman, who printed them on the board's special certificate paper and uploaded them on the computer server.
AKM Shamsuzzaman instructed his assistant Faisal on the required number of certificates, as per DB findings. The DB also identified Abdul Bacher, a CBA leader of the Technical Education Board, along with two other accomplices, Mamunur Rashid, Assistant Programmer of the Registration Branch, and Zakaria Abbas, Deputy Controller of Board Examinations, who were involved in altering certificates and results based on requests from educational institution principals.
Moreover, they were implicated in facilitating the transfer of AKM Shamsuzzaman. The DB discovered that Shamsul Alam was demoted from the position of systems analyst to computer operator, while AKM Shamsuzzaman was promoted to the role of systems analyst.
Shamsuzzaman revealed to the DB that his mentor was Shamsul Haque, a former systems analyst of the technical board, who produced fake certificates and manipulated diploma engineering examination results. He also admitted to altering the pass rates for certain individuals.
Regarding the acquisition of certificates by failed students and non-students, a DB official said that syndicate members organized special sessions under the guise of special classes, where they accepted bribes from attendees.
Deputy Commissioner Mashiur Rahman of DB's Lalbagh Division said that they have received information about additional individuals involved in producing, providing, and receiving fake certificates, who would be apprehended soon.
Shamsuzzaman’s confession
During DB interrogation, Shamsuzzaman confessed to providing monetary bribes, supported by evidence and video footage collected by the DB, implicating others in the case.
In 2017, a corruption case was filed in connection with the certificate forgery, and an impartial officer was tasked with investigating. However, Shamsuzzaman received a clean chit as the officer was transferred after officials in charge of the appointment were bribed by the syndicate led by Shamsuzzaman. Subsequently, a corrupt deputy director of the ACC took over the investigation and continued to receive bribes.
Shamsuzzaman's confession led to his arrest and that of his associate Faisal Hossain in a special operation conducted by multiple teams led by DB Lalbagh Division Deputy Commissioner Moshiur Rahman. During the raid, computers, laptops, printers, thousands of original certificates and blank copies of marksheets stolen from the Technical Education Board, hundreds of fabricated certificates and transcripts, biodata, and important documents were seized from their possession.
Moshiur Rahman revealed that Shamsuzzaman, originally from Dinajpur, joined the Bangladesh Technical Education Board as a systems analyst in 2009 and currently holds the position of senior systems analyst. In his capacity, Shamsuzzaman was responsible for managing the registration, roll numbers, certificates, and transcripts of thousands of students across the country's technical schools and universities.
Using his access to the board's database, system codes, and passwords, Shamsuzzaman and his associates engaged in the illicit business of producing and selling certificates and marksheets. Despite being temporarily dismissed in 2017 for selling marksheets and certificates, he was reinstated following a High Court ruling and confessed to selling 5,500 certificates and marksheets to date.
Multiple cases against Shamsuzzaman are pending.
