Public outrage grows over reassignment instead of suspension despite criminal charges

Sirajul Islam Shishir:
 
Nearly a week after allegations surfaced regarding his involvement in a syndicate responsible for leaking recruitment exam question papers, Harun-or-Rashid, the controversial District Food Controller of Sirajganj, has been stand-released and attached to the Directorate General of Food.
 
According to a notification signed by Mahabubur Rahman Sheikh, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Food, on Sunday (October 25), the official was ordered to relinquish his current duties immediately. Meanwhile, Asaduzzaman Khan, District Food Officer of Jamalpur, has been given additional charge as the acting District Food Controller of Sirajganj.
 
The administrative action, however, has drawn severe criticism from the public and officials within the department. Public anger is mounting over the decision to merely stand-release the officer rather than placing him under temporary suspension despite his alleged link to serious criminal offenses.
 
The notification specified that the officer must be released from his current station by Monday (October 26) and join his new post at the Directorate General of Food. Failing to do so, he would be considered instantly released (stand-released) after noon on October 27.
 
The ministry’s action follows recent media exposure, including reports published in The Daily Sky, detailing his alleged involvement in a widespread question-leak network operating across various government recruitment tests. Although officials believe the reassignment was prompted by these reports, questions remain over why severe disciplinary proceedings—such as suspension—have not yet been initiated.
 
Local sources revealed that after his alleged involvement became public, Harun-or-Rashid went into hiding. On Sunday, he reportedly visited his office secretly, signed the attendance register for the preceding days, and left immediately. Efforts to obtain his comment were unsuccessful as his official mobile phone remained switched off.
 
Network Spanned 11 Recruitment Exams
Investigations by law enforcement agencies, including the Special Response Battalion (SRB) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), following the cancellation of a recent recruitment exam, unveiled a sophisticated syndicate. Investigations indicate that a well-organized ring—including Harun-or-Rashid—operating behind the cover of public office had been leaking question papers for at least 11 government recruitment examinations.
 
During the investigation, the SRB arrested seven members of the ring. Analysis of data recovered from their mobile phones and WhatsApp communications yielded crucial evidence linking the syndicate to leaked question papers for the Department of Youth Development, Directorate of Primary Education, CGDF (Defense Finance), Ministry of Food, Department of Environment, Election Commission, National Board of Revenue (NBR), and the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education.
 
Syndicate Key Players Identified
According to investigators, Sujit Gop, a statistical officer at the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), served as the central figure of the operation. Lower-tier employees from the Ministry of Defense, NBR, and the Department of Environment allegedly collaborated with him to secure candidates and organize secret coaching sessions in Dhaka's Motijheel area, where candidates memorized leaked answer keys under contracts worth millions of takas.
 
Key coordinators of the network reportedly included Sohag Hossain Fakir, Assistant Director at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), and Harun-or-Rashid, a 36th BCS officer. Leveraging their acquaintance as former students of Dhaka University, the two allegedly built an extensive network for leaking question papers and collecting candidates.
 
Investigators found that the ring charged up to BDT 10 lakh per candidate, holding signed judicial stamps, original educational certificates, or blank bank cheques worth BDT 2–3 lakh as collateral. Reports also suggest that the Sirajganj Food Controller utilized select subordinates within his department to locate and recruit prospective candidates in exchange for commissions.
 
Under Bangladeshi criminal law and the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, engaging in fraud, misconduct, and breach of confidentiality while holding public office constitutes a severe offense. The CID confirmed that efforts to track down and arrest both Harun-or-Rashid and Sujit Gop are ongoing using technological surveillance.
 
Earlier, CID officers conducted a late-night raid in Durgabardi village under Rajoir Upazila of Madaripur, arresting BARC official Sohag Fakir (38) and seizing two smartphones from his possession.
 
Allegations of Allocations to Fake Rice Mills
In addition to the question leak scandal, Harun-or-Rashid previously faced serious allegations of embezzling public funds by allocating rice quotas to non-existent rice mills in Sirajganj, an issue that remains uninvestigated by the authorities.
 
Allegations indicate that he approved allocations for 137 out of 142 registered rice mills in Raiganj Upazila to supply 12,000 metric tons of boiled rice. At the government rate of BDT 49,000 per ton, the total financial value of the contract stood at approximately BDT 58.89 crore (588.9 million).
 
However, local mill owners and residents alleged that at least 70 of the 137 approved mills exist only on paper. Quotas were reportedly issued to these "ghost mills" through fraudulent documentation in exchange for substantial bribes.
 
Following local outrage, the Deputy Commissioner of Sirajganj directed the formation of a three-member investigation committee led by Raiganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Md. Mominul Islam under the supervision of the UNO. However, the investigation report is yet to be made public, fueling further discontent among locals.