
ছবি: Photo: Collected
The accused in the case are: Abu Hena Morshed Jamal, Shahana Ara Begum, former managing committee members Mohammad Shahidul Islam, Golam Ashraf Talukder, Mohammad Mujibur Rahman, Mohammad Abdur Rob Mia, Mohammad Ali, Aziza Begum, Munirzadi Kafia Alam, Mohammad Golam Mostafa, and Maksuda Akhtar.
According to the case document, the accused individuals used their positions of power to bypass government regulations and admit 107 students unlawfully to the Motijheel branch of Ideal School and College for the 2021 academic year. The students were enrolled in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 in violation of established procedures. The unlawful admissions occurred in 11 stages, depriving deserving students of their rightful places. These actions have been deemed criminal under sections 420/109 of the Penal Code and section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Shahana Ara Begum also faces accusations of charging extra fees. In 2019, she allegedly collected additional money from students to fill out SSC exam forms and extorted between 20,000 to 100,000 Taka from failing students in exchange for special consideration to pass. There are also allegations of illegal monetary transactions related to student admissions across various branches of the school.
Investigations have revealed that the school management was collecting four to five lakh Taka per student for admissions. Initially, the money was deposited into the school’s fund, but later, it was distributed among the members of the managing committee. It is claimed that Shahana Ara Begum embezzled millions of Taka through these illegal transactions.
In 2019, the ACC conducted a raid at the Banashree branch of Ideal School for forcibly collecting fees under the guise of ‘special classes.’ The commission seized preliminary evidence and information during the operation. In May 2019, after allegations were found to be true that answer scripts for admission exams for second and third grade students were tampered with to increase scores, the Secondary and Higher Education Board issued a show-cause notice to Shahana Ara Begum.
The case has sparked public concern over widespread corruption and illegal practices in educational institutions.
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