- Chairman, members allegedly leak out questions
- Drastic action would be taken against the corrupt persons: Bir Bahadur
Special Correspondent: Allegation has been intensified that at least Tk 25 crore has allegedly been sucked by the Chairman and Members of Khagrachari Zilla Parishad in the name of recruiting 186 Assistant Teachers for primary schools in different upazilas of the district.
They have not only misappropriated money from the job seekers, but also realized money by leaking out question papers, dozens of victims reported to The Daily Industry, while visiting the district last week.
The recruitment process was begun in September 2017, but the High Court has suspended the recruitment due to the irregularities. The present Parishad led by its new Chairman of Khagrachari Hill District Council Mongsueprou Chowdhury (Apu) restarted the recruitment process during the Corona pandemic and conducted so-called written test on February 19 this year.
To express instant reaction, many applicants told The Daily Industry that the primary teacher recruitment process has become questioned from the very beginning due to lack of transparency. “The chairman and members of Khagrachari Hill District Council are directly involved with money misappropriation through massive
irregularities and corruption in recruiting process. They have collected Tk 10 lakh to Tk 15 lakh from per head against the job before the written examination held on Febraury 19, said a Chakma woman seeking anonymity.
She further said, a Chakma girl (roll no-151) appeared to the exam centre along with an answer sheet, which was just as per the question paper.
Not only she, many candidates have either brought answer sheets according to the question paper or brought smart phone with the answers during the written examination. They gathered the question from the authorities concerned in exchange of big sum money, she complained.
The matter of question leak out and bribery became so widespread in which the local newsmen got involved with the illicit deeds.
There is a police record on anomalies in the exam centre where one Muhammad Saju, also a local journalist was arrested by police while supplying copy (answer sheet) to a candidate.
On condition of anonymity, a Member of Khagrachari Hill District Council told The Daily Industry that, massive allegation has been found that Tk 10 lakh to Tk 15 lakh was realized by a section of influential including the Chairman and some of his associates promising to provide the job.
The complainant was also asked by the Chairman to do so, but he declined to do so, he said adding that “My request is to cancel the result and rearrange the test for the greater interest of the whole people of the Hill tract.”
A member said, “The indigenous people of the Hill tract have been remained on the back put. In this condition, our responsibility is to work for their upliftment by recruiting meritorious teachers.”
The government has emphasized on the development of Hilly indigenous people by sanctioning extra budget, but our elected representatives are embezzling the money and tarnishing the images of the government especially Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he added.
Fatema Meher Yesmin, District Primary Education Officer told The Daily Industry that, she heard about the irregularities through different newsreports and persons, but he has no knowledge about the question leak out and bribery by the District Council Chairman and members in connection with the recruitment.
As the whole recruitment process was conducted by the District council so the Primary Education Department has no work here, she added.
A total of 237 candidates out of 3567 have been selected for Viva scheduled to be held on March 18 and 19.
According to the circular, there was a major condition over the recruitment that no candidate will be allowed to apply, if he or she is married. But many of the candidates got married off and blessed baby, while many of them have lost the age limit of 30 years, sources told The Daily Industry.
A reliable source of the district council informed that, currently 52 percent of the population in Khagrachari is Bengali and 48 percent are Paharee (indigenous). But, the Chairman has selected maximum Paharees violating the guided quota. The deprived Bengali community is serious anxiety due to the activities of Apu Chowdhury.
Sources said that, another recruitment process for Cook has been cancelled due to huge irregularities. The candidates have urged the government especially the Prime Minister to rearrange the teacher recruitment process postponing the ongoing ghostly process, which is adopting huge corruption and anomalies.
There is further allegation that the Chairman of Khagrachari District Council is also accused of a murder case for killing three persons including Kala Chakma member by shot. He has now established a kingdom of terrorism in the area again after getting release in bail, locals complained.
While contacted, Partha Tripura Jewel, a member of the Zilla Parishad declined to make any comment in this connection. But, he also admitted that, the Chairman Mongsueprou Chowdhury (Apu) is accused of a murder case, which is now under trial.
On the other hand, Khokoneswar Tripura, another member of the Zilla Parishad said, “I have heard about the anomalies and corruption in the recruitment process. But, none complains to me in this regard. So, we have nothing to do.
While contacted over cell phone, Chairman of Khagrachari Hill District Council Mongsueprou Chowdhury (Apu) declined the allegation and said ‘if you want to talk with me, come directly. Otherwise I’m not bound to make any comment in this regard.’
Chottogram Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs Minister Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing told The Daily Industry “I am yet get any complaint in this regard. If I get any specific complaint over the irregularities, drastic action would be taken against the corrupt persons after conducting a fair investigation. None would be spared, if he or she is involved with bribery over teacher recruitment process, as teachers are considered as creator of human beings. So, we want eligible and meritorious people as teachers to build our future generation.”
