Question leaks: Abed, five others give confessional statements

Syed Abed Ali, a former driver of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC), and five others out of 17 detained over question-paper leaks have given confessional statements to the court.

Five other detainees are office staff Khalilur Rahman, office assistant Sajedul Islam, businessman Sakhawat Hossain and his brother Sayem Hossain and private university student Liton Sarkar.

The detainees were produced in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court at 1:40 pm on Tuesday.

Additional SP Jewel Chakma of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), also the investigator of the case, prayed to the court to record statements of the accused under section 164.

Later, they all were sent to the private chamber of the judge for recording the statements.

Finally, the accused gave statements to the magistrate concerned, said Nippon Chandra Chand, a sub-inspector of the CID and also a complainant of the case.

However, former Chhatra League leader and businessman Abu Solaiman Md Sohel agreed to give a statement but he did not do so finally.

Meanwhile, metropolitan magistrate Tahmina Haque sent remaining 10 accused to the jail.

Lawyer Rezaul Karim and several others filed bail petitions for the accused. However, the court rejected the petitions.

The accused are PSC deputy directors Abu Jafar and Jahangir Alam, assistant director Alamgir Kabir, auditor Priyonath Roy, security guard of Narayanganj passport office Shahadat Hossain, medical technician of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital Niamun Hasan, Abed Ali's son Sayed Sohanur Rahman Siam, Jahidul Islam, Mamunur Rashid and Noman Siddiqi.

At least 17 people, including six officials of the BPSC, were arrested by the CID for their alleged involvement in leaking public-service test questions.

According to sources, both Abed Ali and his son Sohan were involved in question leaks. As the incident surfaced, the BCL expelled him from the organisation.

Abed of Dasar upazila in Madaripur owns millions of taka.

Sohan studied abroad and then at a private university in Bangladesh.

It is also learnt that Abed has two multi-storey buildings in Dhaka and a luxurious house in Madaripur.

Earlier, private TV station Channel 24 aired an investigative report on leaks of questions of various PSC exams for cadre and non-cadre posts.

According to the report, questions of the test for recruiting 516 people in Bangladesh Railway were leaked. Later, the CID filed a case with Paltan police station to this effect.

Meanwhile, the PSC has suspended its five officials who have been detained by security officials.

In another development, PSC chairman Sohorab Hossain on Tuesday said the test for recruiting railway engineers would be cancelled if evidence of such leaks was found.

"A committee has already been formed to investigate the allegations of question leaks. The committee will submit a report within 15 days."

"Based on the committee's recommendations, the exam will be cancelled," said Mr Sohorab at a press conference at the PSC in the afternoon.

UNB adds: Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Md Sohorab Hossain has said that the July 5 exam for the post of deputy assistant engineer of Bangladesh Railway will be void if the question paper was indeed leaked.

"There have been allegations of question paper leaks over the past 12 years, but proving them now seems unlikely. However, if the allegations regarding the July 5 railway recruitment exam are proven, we will declare it void promptly. There is no doubt about it," he said during a press briefing at the PSC headquarters on Tuesday.

He also outlined procedural measures from paper distribution to ensuring secure delivery to examination centres. Regarding past allegations, he said that decisions on previous tests would be taken during commission meetings, emphasising the complexities involved in assessing exams conducted over the past 12 years under different leadership.

"The commission will collectively decide on actions pertaining to previous tests. It's a legal matter to determine whether we have jurisdiction to annul past examinations, which requires careful consideration," added the PSC chairman.

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