Student Leader Accused of Taking Money in Promise of Family CardsLocal authorities in Debidwar upazila, Cumilla, have intervened to recover money extorted from at least 30 underprivileged women under the guise of issuing official government “Family Cards”. A local student leader, accused of collecting illegal fees from vulnerable residents, was compelled to refund the extracted funds following a prompt administrative investigation.
The incident occurred in Madhumura village within the Gunaighar South Union. Local residents identified the accused as Mohiuddin Sarkar, a resident of the village who serves as the president of the Gunaighar South Union unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and is an aspiring member candidate for the upcoming Union Parishad elections.
According to affected residents, Mohiuddin approached impoverished women in the village promising to secure government Family Cards for them. He collected photocopies of their National Identity (NID) cards, passport-sized photographs, and an advance fee of 300 taka per applicant. Additionally, he informed them that an extra 2,000 taka would be required once the cards were delivered.
Sumi Begum, the wife of local auto-rickshaw driver Sabuj Miah, recounted how she handed over her documents and 300 taka expecting assistance, only to receive no card. Several other victims—including Hosneara Begum, Delowara Begum, Shahina Begum, and Sabina Akter—echoed similar experiences, stating that at least 30 women in the village had been tricked into paying money.
Ruhul Amin, a local resident, revealed that Mohiuddin was initially included on a preliminary list of data collectors for the Family Card scheme, but was later removed from the duty. Despite his removal, he continued to masquerade as an official collector and leveraged his political identity to extract money, binding the victims to secrecy.
Clarifying the official regulations, Md. Rofiqul Islam, the supervisor of the Family Card scheme in Gunaighar South Union, stated that the cards are distributed entirely free of charge. He emphasised that demanding fees under the programme is illegal and constitutes a punishable fraudulent offence.
When confronted, Mohiuddin denied the allegations, claiming the charges were a political conspiracy to malign his reputation, before abruptly disconnecting his phone and refusing subsequent calls. Meanwhile, Jasim Uddin, convener of the Debidwar Upazila BNP, condemned the misconduct and urged local authorities to take strict legal action against anyone exploiting social safety net initiatives.
On Saturday afternoon, Debidwar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Ashok Bikram Chakma visited Madhumura to speak directly with the affected women. Upon confirming the veracity of the claims, the UNO summoned Mohiuddin, recovered the extorted cash, and returned it to the victims.
UNO Ashok Bikram Chakma confirmed that public announcements are being broadcast across the area using loudspeakers to raise awareness about free public services, assuring that formal legal proceedings against the accused are underway.
