Court Correspondent: The High Court yesterday asked the authorities concerned to inform the court within one month about the steps taken against those involved in prison guard recruitment scam across the country.

The HC bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Mohammad Ali passed the order after hearing a writ petition.

The court also asked the committee formed to probe the scam to submit its report. Inspector General of Prison has been asked to execute the order.

The HC also issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the authorities concerned should not be directed to appoint actual Zahirul Islam as prison guard after removing fake Zahirul Islam, who has been working as a prison guard for the last 18 years through fraudulence.

Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan and Abul Kalam stood for the petitioner while deputy attorney general Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar represented the state.

Zahirul filed a writ petition attaching a report of a newspaper headlined ‘Zahirul, from Kulaura want to get back his job: working as a prison guard for 18 years through fraudulence proved in investigation’.

According to the report, Zahirul Islam Eshu passed the exam for the post of prison guard in 2003. He also faced police verification but finally he didn’t receive the appointment letter.

After 18 years, Zahirul came to know that another person using his identity has been serving the job which was proved during in an investigation.The probe body headed by Sylhet Deputy Inspector General of Prison submitted the probe report recently.

Zahirul wrote a letter to Sylhet Deputy Inspector General of Prison seeking his job back.

Getting no response from him, he filed the writ petition.

The writ also sought issuance of a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain as to why directives should not be given to take legal action against the person who has been is performing  the job instead of Zahirul.

Secretary to the Home Ministry, Inspector General of Prison, Deputy Inspector General of Prison, Senior Jail Supers of Sylhet Central Jail and Brahmanbaria Central Jail and fake Zahirul were made respondents to the rule.

While talking to reporters, Abdullah Al Mahmud, deputy attorney general, said the authorities concerned took the issue seriously and investigated the allegation.

According to the probe committee report, evidences of fraud was found against 88 recruits out of 200 and three people were identified who have been working as prison guards instead of real recruits, he said.

Already administrative actions have been taken against those who were found guilty as doing fraud, he added.