Medical Admission: Tax official, 2 others held for selling 'fake questions'

Detectives arrested three alleged fraudsters, including a tax official, in the capital early yesterday on charge of selling fake question papers of a medical college admission test.

The arrestees were identified as Abul Hossain, an official of Tax Zone-8, and his accomplices Ashiqur Rahman and Ehsanul Haq, both university students.

Acting on a tip off, a team from Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police conducted a drive in Mohakhali area between 12:00am and 2:00am and arrested the three along with fake medical questions, books, cell-phones and Tk 12,000 in cash, said DB officials.

The officials also detained three admission seekers, identified as Jahidul Islam, Raqibul Hasan and Mahima Afrin, and four guardians -- Khalilur Rahman, Mahbubur Rahman, Abdul Mannan and Hasina Akhter -- who allegedly communicated with the “fraudsters” to collect the questions.

The detectives said the fraudsters first posted on social media and started looking for admission seekers. Once they found the admission seekers, they communicated with them through messengers and enticed them to buy the questions.

The fraudsters told the admission seekers that one of their relatives works at the BG Press through whom they have collected the copy of question papers. They said they would not hand over the questions for security reason but would let them memorise the questions and answers, the detectives added.

The fraudsters demanded Tk 10-14 lakh for the “whole package”, the DB officials said.

Once a deal was done, the fraudsters asked the admission seekers and the guardians to go near Shahbagh with bank cheques. Later they changed their location to Mohakhali where the detectives arrested them.

The DB officials said the fraudsters actually prepared a suggestion paper for medical admission and circulated it on social media, claiming that they got the actual questions.

Legal action would be taken against them and drives were underway to arrest the other members of the gang, Mashiur Rahman, deputy commissioner of DB (north), told The Daily Star.

“We are interrogating the admission seekers and guardians and a decision regarding them would be taken later,” he added.