• Sirajganj people demand fair investigation and exemplary punishment to the involved
• Effort to cover up the incident goes on by an influential quarter

Staff Reporter:

People from all walks of life including Sirajganj Swartha Rakkha Songram Committee and civil society members demanded exemplary punishment to the involved persons through a fair and transparent investigation over the irregularities in third and fourth class employees’ recruitment in Sirajganj District Judge and Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, which has now become ‘talk of the country’.

Photo: TDS

On the other hand, an influential quarter has now become reckless to cover-up the incident after getting it public through different media and social media.

Though, an investigation team formed with three members led by Senior Assistant Judge Ahmed Humayun Kabir launched its investigation, none of the team however has yet opened mouth in this regard. Consequently, a mystery has been created over the issue.

Many said, those, who were involved with the recruitment process and who have gained the jobs, are now on running and jumping to get rid from the charge of grafts. Various efforts and lobby to manage the high-ups including media workers are underway. As a result, civil society members including local headmen in Sirajganj town have become anger. They demanded lawful action against the involved persons amidst a fair investigation.

Saidur Rahman Bachchu, General Secretary of District BNP and one of the members of Sirajganj Swartha Rakkha Sangram Committee told The Daily Sky that, “If legal action is not taken against the former Law Minister Anisul Haque and other involved persons through proper investigation by canceling the fake and fraudulent appointment, Sirajganj District BNP and Swartha Rakkha Sangram Committee in collaboration with the student society will go for a tougher movement shortly to make the Sirajganj District Judge Court free from corruption and irregularities.”

Photo: TDS

“22 out of 34 appointed persons are residents of Brahmaranbaria and Cumilla, which proves that there is hand of the Law Minister. As a result, applicants of Sirajganj have been deprived of employment despite having enough qualification and eligibility. The previous appointments should be canceled and new people should be appointed to all those posts in a fair and transparent manner,” he added.

Shahidul Islam, a lawyer of Sirajganj Judge Court, said, “All the judges who were in the appointment committee should be brought under the law through proper investigation and exemplary punishment must be provided, so that no ‘protector’ will have the courage to act as a ‘eater’ in the future.”

Rafiq Sarkar, another lawyer of Sirajganj Judge Court, said, “The former Law Minister, who is currently serving in jail, has committed many misdeeds in the past. This is also part of his many misdeeds. Without his help, no judge or recruiting officer can commit such a big misdemeanor as malpractice in recruitment. So everyone, including the Law Minister and others who have made corrupted and tainted the court, should be brought to book.”

He however, seems that, political will is very necessary here.

Allegations have been made that the judges, who were in charge of the recruitment committee, took the so-called ‘recruitment test’ of the selected candidates secretly in their private rooms under the direction of the Law Minister. That picture was recently leaked out through social media. Some 34 people however, were appointed through rigging. This information is known from the complaint filed by the victims.

After the fall of Sheikh Hasina government, seven victims filed a written complaint in the Sirajganj Senior District and Sessions Judge Court. The complainants are respectively Zafar Imam, Manzoor Alam, Akash Saha, Bipul Raha, Rizon Ahmed, Shaheen Reza and Shihab Uddin.

According to the complaint, a recruitment notification was published on newspaper seeking applications for 34 posts including shorthand typist-cum-computer operator, process server, office assistant, Nazir, accountant, bench assistant, cashier, library assistant and night guard for the two courts.

The appointment committee was headed by former Senior District and Sessions Judge Fazle Khoda Nazir, who is now serving in Rangpur. Besides, Senior Assistant Judge for Sadar Jurisdiction Minhaj Uddin Faraji and Joint District and Sessions Judge Tanbir Ahmed were also members of the recruitment, selection and examination committee.

The committee was chaired by Additional District and Sessions 
Judge Begum Salma Khatun.

But no one of the committee is now opening up mouth to the media in this regard.

The complaint also revealed that, 22 out of the total employed are from Brahmanbaria and Comilla district. Although, the recruitment circular said to give preference to the candidates of Sirajganj district, it was limited in paper only. But in exchange of large amount of bribe, the candidates of Brahmanbaria and Comilla were given highly preference by arranging secret examination that held in the private room of the judges according to the instruction of the Law Minister.

The complainants have also claimed that, the then Senior District and Sessions Judge Fazle Khoda Nazir was behind the corruption and anomalies.

Photo: Collected

On the other hand, after leaking out and getting viral the photos of taking examination in the private room of the judges through social media, the appointment of Shahjadpur Senior Assistant Judge Court’s Nazir Rabiul Hasan, Tarash Assistant Judge Court’s Bench Assistant Muntashir Mamun and Kazipur Senior Assistant Judge Court’s Bench Assistant Sabbir Hossain has been suspended. However, when the three employees were contacted to talk about it, they declined to make any comment.

Meanwhile, jobs of 31 recruited persons have already been made permanent. Due to this, qualified and talented candidates have been deprived of jobs. Currently, the members of civil society including Sirajganj Swartha Rakkha Sangram Committee have expressed their solidarity with the demands of the deprived victims. They demanded cancellation of the fraudulent appointment and rearrange the fresh appointment in the posts as soon as early.

This correspondent tried to contact with Sirajganj Senior District and Sessions Judge M Ali Ahmed several times, but failed. However, the administrative officer of his office, Anwar Pasha confirmed that a three-member investigation team headed by Senior Assistant Judge Ahmed Humayun Kabir has been formed recently, which has already started investigation into the matter.

On the other hand, even trying to contact with the then Senior District and Sessions Judge of Sirajganj Fazle Khoda Nazir over cell phone and WhatsApp, he could not be found.