Bangladesh: 137 teachers in job with fake certificates

Dhaka, July 7, 2014 (New Age): The Directorate of Inspection and Audit has found that 137 teachers have managed to get appointment at non-government schools, colleges and madrassahs showing fake certificates. All the teachers have been in job for last few years, and of them 105 were drawing monthly pay orders (salary from the exchequer) while 32 others were getting remuneration from the fund of respective job stations. Of the 137 teachers, 83 are in schools, 21 in colleges and 33 in madrassahs. The DIA, under the education ministry, carried out the investigation in April and May and sent the list to the education ministry and the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education last month with a request to take action, DIA and ministry officials told New Age last week. ‘We had received allegations from different quarters against nearly 200 teachers of different educational institutions in different districts. Our officials investigated it and identified 137 in job with fake certificates,’ DIA deputy director Kamruzzaman said. The DIA officials cross-checked all the bachelor’s, master’s and diploma certificates and also the certificates offered by the non-government teachers registration and certification authority. Teachers’ registration certificate is mandatory to get jobs at the MPO-enlisted non-government secondary schools, colleges and madrassahs. Professor Ataur Rahman, director (administration and college) of the DSHE said they had received the list from the DIA and now they would take action case by case with approval from the education ministry. The director said that all the 105 MPO-enlisted teachers would be asked to refund the money to the exchequer before legal actions were taken against them. `We are looking into how these teachers managed to get the jobs and MPO facilities with fake certificates. All the offenders will be found out and punished,’ he said. The ministry officials said that they had received the list and would take a decision at a meeting with DSHE officials soon. Zabirul Islam, a lecturer of Arabic at Mahanagar College at Shahmakhdum in Rajshahi had managed his job with a fake teacher’s registration certificate. Shahin Sultana, a physical education teacher at Shahapur High School, got a job with fake certificate from National University, according to the list, a copy of which has been obtained by New Age. Zabirul and Shahin refused to talk to New Age.