Rab yesterday arrested a gang of eight students who sent answers to multiple-choice questions via SMS to freshmen aspirants inside Dhaka University admission test halls.
A team of Rab-3 and officials of DU administration tracked the gang for a week after an admission seeker, who was approached by the gang, gave them the lead.
Rab caught kingpin Aminul Islam inside a Kha unit admission test hall when he was sending out answers to admission seekers via text messages.
THE FORGERY
Aminul prepared well for the exam and entered the hall with a fake identity and a hidden mobile phone. He got set number three of the question paper. He then texted “3” to five of his gang members, who forwarded the text to their client students. The client freshmen aspirants had also smuggled in mobile phones inside the test halls.
The clients used a tiny piece of paper, which looked like a well-filled circle, to cover the circle of the question paper set they received. This fooled the teachers on duty at the hall and they signed their answer sheets knowing the examinee filled the correct circle on the answer sheet for his or her question paper.
Regardless of whatever set they got, the client students were actually answering question paper set three. And all the correct answers were sent to them via SMS from the five gang members. The five got all the answers from Aminul who was inside an exam hall.
Before submitting the answer sheets, all the client students took off the tiny piece of paper covering the circle marking the set and filled the circle for set number three.
They all answered question paper set three and their answer sheets were signed by the teachers.
Aminul completed his BBA from accounting department of DU this year.
He took part in the admission test for Kha unit [subjects under arts and social science faculties] yesterday with the fake identity of Mosharraf Hossain, DU sources said.
Aminul’s five cohorts were stationed at a Palashi flat. They were sending out Aminul’s answers to 40 client students via text. They have been arrested as well.
The arrestees and other seized documents including admit cards of admission seekers were produced before journalists at the Rab-3 office in Tikatuli last night.
Briefing reporters, Director of Rab-3 Lt Col Md Rafiqul Islam said the gang had been helping examinees cheat in various competitive exams for the last couple of years.
However, Aminul said gang member Md Shohel Rana, a master’s student of political science department, came up with the innovative idea in February this year.
Rab-3 Director Rafiqul said Aminul got Tk 40,000 to Tk 50,000 for sitting for an exam while the other members of the gang received handsome amounts from admission seekers.
DU Proctor KM Saiful Islam Khan said academic action would be taken against the arrested DU students involved and the exams of the students who cheated would be cancelled.
The other arrested gang members are: Md Johnny, a BBA final year student of marketing department at DU, Md Nazrul Islam, a master’s student of political science at DU, Shahjada, a BA student of BM College, Barisal, Bachhu Mia, a third year student of Gurudoal Govt College, Kishoreganj, Shahdat Hossain Liton, a student of English department of Jahangirnagar University, and one Md Jamal Uddin.
