BANGLADESH

A court has ordered the grilling of 21 people including a university teacher and a doctor who were involved in selling fake question papers of the first combined medical and dental admission test.

Dhaka's Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court judge Erfanullah rejected the bail appeal of those accused and sent them to jail.

Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station officer-in-charge Ziauzzaman told  that Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-2 assistant deputy director Lutfar Rahman filed a case on Saturday morning.

The first-ever combined medical and dental admission test was held on Friday amid rumours of questions leak and strict invigilation.

RAB-2 officer Saiful Karim told, "On Thursday night, 20 people were arrested with false question papers. On Friday morning, we arrested another youth named Arindam Hawladar."

Saiful said a teacher from Jahangirnagar University (JU), a doctor from Dhaka Dental College Hospital and two bankers were also arrested.

He added that they had recovered Tk 1 million from the arrestees.

"There was no similarity between the recovered question papers and the original. The racket made money by selling fake questions papers," he said.

Those arrested are bankers Jewel Ahmed and Ashraful Alam, businessmen Tariqul Islam, Jasimuddin, Nurunnabi Tej, Tanvir Ahmed Siddique, Shahidul Islam Sujon, Motahar Hossain, Habibur Rahman, JU teacher Firozul Hasan, college teacher Anisul Islam, lecturer Aminul Islam, dental college physician Monjur Alam, manager of a hospital Manosh Dev, Dhaka University student 'Emil', medical student Shahiduzzaman Shahed, students Touhidul Islam, Tajmul Parvez, 'Liyon' and one Touhidul Islam Raju.

Health directorate chief Khondaker Mohammad Shefyetullah earlier told  that they had heaved 'a huge sigh of relief' after the 'peaceful' completion of the one-hour test consisting of multiple-choice questions (MCQ) at 19 centres across Bangladesh. The examination began at 11am.

The test was deferred by a week from Sep 23 due to the arrest of a staff of the government press, as he came out of his office premises with concealed question papers on Sep 13. Two other people were also arrested in connection with the incident.

At least 101 health ministry officials including the minister and the secretary went around the examination centres on Friday.