Teacher Recruitment Exam Question Leak: ‘Syndicate struck a deal with 200 candidates’

A syndicate made an arrangement with at least 200 candidates prior to the third phase written test for the recruitment of assistant teachers in government primary schools, offering to provide leaked question papers along with solutions.

Candidates received the questions and solutions a few minutes before the tests. Mobile phones confiscated from some examinees during the March 29 exam contained both the genuine question papers and their solutions.

Around 3.5 lakh candidates from 21 districts of Dhaka and Chattogram divisions took part in the exam.

Asim Gain, the mastermind behind the syndicate, took amounts ranging from Tk 10 lakh to Tk 15 lakh from each examinee.

He accepted cash payments ranging from Tk 2-5 lakh, along with a cheque for the remaining balance, as per an investigation of the Cyber and Special Crime division of the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

However, further investigations are necessary to confirm whether all 200 candidates indeed received the questions.

Detectives have recently arrested five persons in this connection, including Dhaka University students Jyotirmoy Gain, 26, and Sujan Chandra Roy, 25.

The three others are Manish Gain, 39, Pankaj Gain, 30, and Lovely Mondal, 30. They gave confessional statements in front of a Dhaka court yesterday.

While the DU duo has been charged with leaking question papers, the three others stand accused of buying the questions.

Jyotirmoy and Sujan are both residents of Jagannath Hall and study at the Law Department of DU.

According to DB chief Harun-Or-Rashid , the two stated that Jyotirmoy's uncle, Asim, tasked them with solving these questions, offering them Tk 12,000 to Tk 15,000 per paper. Once solved, they would send the question papers back to Asim, who would then distribute them to the candidates.

A Dhaka court yesterday placed Jyotirmoy and Sujan on a two-day remand.

Meanwhile, a well-placed source within the detective branch has confirmed that four students of an engineering university near DU also assisted Jyotirmoy and Sujan. They, too, were recruited by Asim.

The four used to work in Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta Bhaban of Jagannath Hall.

Asim initiated communication with examinees three months prior to the exam, specifically targeting those who were nearing the end of their age limit for government service applications.

"Asim has previously leaked question papers for multiple exams, accumulating hundreds of crores. Using this wealth, he constructed an opulent residence in his hometown. Known for his local political sway, Asim has been implicated in activities including human trafficking, the hundi business, and the cable industry," said the DB chief.

"He is now on the run. We are trying to arrest him. If he is arrested, it will be clear how he gets the question," said Harun.

Meanwhile, a source within the police said Asim may have fled the country.

The alarm bells rang after seven individuals in Madaripur and one in Rajbari were detained with leaked question papers on their mobile phones during the March 30 exams.

Cases were filed separately in these districts. Although most of the candidates arrested in Madaripur were granted bail, one individual confessed in court about how he obtained the leaked papers. Following a request from the Superintendent of Police of Madaripur, the DB initiated an investigation, leading to the recent arrests.

Asked whether the DB would request the authorities to cancel the exam, Harun said, "We will report everything to the higher authorities. They will then decide."