The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police has found out that the majority of medical admission question paper leaks involve doctors.
The CID has arrested 12 people, including several doctors, for allegedly being involved in leaking the question papers of medical entrance examinations under the cover of various coaching centres.
Additional Inspector General of Police Mohammad Ali shared this information during a press conference at the CID headquarters in Malibagh, Dhaka, on Sunday afternoon.
He stressed that the question paper leak gang, active particularly during public examinations, is detrimental to the education sector and has been a significant concern.
The CID said that the ring is said to have supplied question papers to countless doctor aspirants from 2001 to 2017, making significant financial gains. The members of the gang have been living luxurious lives in the country while many of them have even laundered money abroad.
he arrested are Dr Moize Uddin Ahmed Pradhan, 50, Dr Soheli Zaman, 40, Dr Mohammad Abu Raihan, Dr ZM Saleheen Shovan, 48, Dr Zobaidur Rahman Johnny, 38, Dr Zillur Hasan Roni, 37, Dr Imrul Kayes Himel, 32, Zahirul Islam Bhuiyan Muktar, 68, Roshan Ali Himu, 45, Akhtaruzzaman Tushar, 43, Zahir Uddin Ahmed Bappi, 45, and Abdul Quddus Sarkar, 63.
During the arrests, authorities seized 19 mobile phones, four laptops, various bank chequebooks, bank cards, admission admit cards, cash amounting to Tk2.11 lakh, and 15,100 baht in Thai currency.
The investigation was initiated during a case investigation of the Digital Security Act, 2018 at Mirpur Model police station. Approximately 80 members of this syndicate allegedly made hundreds of crores of taka by facilitating admissions to medical colleges using leaked question papers over a span of around 16 years.
CID Cyber Team apprehended the 12 individuals from various districts, including Dhaka, Tangail, Kishoreganj, and Barisal. Out of the arrestees, seven are doctors. The majority of them operated by leaking question papers through medical admission coaching centres or private tutoring.
Eight of the arrested individuals have reportedly admitted to their involvement and provided confessional statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The confessions have unveiled more than a hundred students who gained admission through this scheme, some of whom have now become doctors. Efforts are underway to identify and legally address these individuals.
Numerous bank cheques and admit cards, intended for the parents of the students, were seized from the suspects. These materials are currently undergoing scrutiny.
A diary, found in possession of Jasim Uddin Bhuiyan, a ringleader of the syndicate, lists the names of other members spread across the country. The CID’s operation aims to apprehend these individuals.
The investigation revealed that the syndicate leaked medical question papers at least 10 times between 2001 and 2017. Extensive financial transactions have been discovered in their bank accounts, prompting money laundering inquiries.
Among the arrested individuals, Dr Moiz Uddin, a former medical college student, is considered one of the masterminds behind the question paper leak.
He had been involved in it for over 20 years through a coaching centre called “Fame”. Moiz, who was formerly associated with a student camp, is now recognized as a pro-Jamaat doctor. He faces two money laundering cases.
Additionally, other arrested doctors, known to be associated with BNP and Chhatra Dal politics, include Salehin Shobhan, Zobaidur Rahman, Zillur Hasan Roni, and Zahir Uddin Ahmed Bappi. They have all been implicated in the question paper leak at various times since 2005, often operating under the guise of various coaching centres.
