Fraud Syndicate Uncovered: Four Detained over BDT 1.7m Police Job Racket

The Detective Branch (DB) of Rangpur District Police has dismantled an organised recruitment fraud ring, arresting four key operatives who allegedly offered a Cadet Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI – Unarmed) job for a sum of BDT 1.7 million. The scam collapsed after officers caught a candidate and his designated proxy attempting to gain entry into an examination centre using a counterfeit admit card.

The suspects taken into custody have been named as Md. Ashraful Islam (21), hailing from Parbatipur under Dinajpur district; Md. Tajmilur Rahman (19) from Rangpur; Md. Badsha Masud Alam (48), an employee attached to the Fire Service and Civil Defence station in Kamalkachhna, Rangpur; and Nurul Islam (20). A fifth co-conspirator, Md. Nurul Islam (46), evaded initial arrest and has been named as an absconding accused in the official charges.

The operation unfolded outside the Police Lines School and College examination centre at around 4:30 pm on Friday (31 July). Plainclothes DB personnel stationed near the venue noticed suspicious conduct by Ashraful Islam. On scrutinising the documentation held by Ashraful, officers established that his admit card was completely fraudulent. Simultaneously, detectives detained Tajmilur Rahman, who had been brought to the venue to sit the written examination as a proxy candidate on Ashraful’s behalf.

Under initial questioning, Ashraful confessed that Badsha Masud Alam and his associate, Nurul Islam, had guaranteed him a confirmed position as a Cadet ASI in exchange for BDT 1.7 million. Pursuant to the deal, Ashraful had already transferred an advance payment of BDT 250,000 from Dinajpur into a specified Dhaka Bank account.

Investigators noted that the fraud ring subsequently transmitted the fake admit card directly to Ashraful via WhatsApp. Standard procedure for Bangladesh Police recruitment dictates that all candidates must first pass a rigorous physical endurance and screening test before progressing to the written stage. Ashraful had bypassed the mandatory physical test entirely, making his possession of an admit card a clear indicator of forgery.

Leveraging statements provided by Ashraful, the detective unit launched a targeted raid near the Jahaj Company Intersection in Rangpur city, leading to the apprehension of Badsha Masud Alam. A search of Alam’s mobile device yielded crucial digital evidence, including records of financial transactions, forged documentation, and correspondence linked to the illegal recruitment network.

During interrogation, Alam admitted that he and the absconding suspect, along with several accomplices, operated a widespread criminal racket targeting vulnerable employment seekers. Furthermore, investigations revealed that members of the network routinely impersonated high-ranking government officials during telephone calls to senior police officers in an effort to create confusion and influence the recruitment process.

A formal criminal case has been lodged with the Kotwali Metropolitan Police Station. Najmul Kader, Officer-in-Charge of the station, confirmed that police operations are currently underway to arrest the remaining fugitive and uncover any broader linkages to the syndicate.