Where brokers are the bosses!

Department of Shipping

Golam Mostafa Jibon:Allegation has been intensified that, a strong syndicate of brokers has been established in the Department of Shipping under the shipping Ministry with the patronization of Chief Engineer and Ship Surveyor Md. Manjurul Kabir, Captain Abu Sayeed Mohammad Delwar Rahman and Kazi Mohammad Ahsan, who are allegedly engaged in various corruptions and irregularities.
The officials in collaboration with one Sagor and Tuser, who introduced themselves as Chhatra League Leaders, are carrying different unethical activities that spoiling images of the department.
Sources said, the three officers are directly and indirectly involved in leaking out the question papers of the master and drivership examinations after taking the advantage as they are in charge of preparing the question papers for written and verbal tests at the Shipping Department.
Of them, the jobs of two persons have not yet been made permanent, while other has been servicing on deputation for about three years.
There is a complaint that, they hand over the master and drivership exam questions to the syndicate members Sagor and Tuser just before the day of examination.
At that time, they teach people in several groups each of them contains 20 to 25 people after renting six to seven rooms in Osmani International Hotel, Ishakhan and Islami Hotel in Kakrail and several other residential Hotels in Joykali Temple area of the capital about the questions of examination. Later, they make them obtained in written and verbal examinations according to the contract.
Although, such corruptions and anomalies have been going on in the examination system for the last few years, the authorities are completely silent on this issue, a complainant said.
According to sources, both the brokers-Sagor-Tuser realize Tk 1 lakh to Tk 2 lakh from each candidate on the basis of categories.
Thus, they have become multimillionaires in the last few years. It is also learned that after delivering the roll number given by Sagor and Tuser syndicate to the examiners through a special medium, they are giving the pass number using the symbolic sign in the paper. Later, they get pass marks according to the roll number and code during the Viva examination. In exchange of it, they get Tk 50,000 to Tk 60,000 as commission against per candidate. Rest money goes to the pocket of the mentioned officers.
It is learnt from a written complaint that, the Chief Engineer and Ship Surveyor of the Department of Shipping Manjurul Kabir has a good relationship with Sagor and Tuser.
Tuser through a leader of Chhatra League lobbied the Minister of State for Shipping and extended the tenure of the top official, who was on deputation for another six months.
Due to the supremacy, Tuser is illegally carrying almost all works including passing exams, approving small boat designs, issuing certificates, changing ship ownership, issuing survey tokens and even issuing NOCs to cadets.
During each test, Sagor and Tuser physically attend at the test center and often communicate with the three officers mentioned above over mobile phones, Emojis, Vibar, Facebook Messenger and whatsapp.
It is to be noted that, the Department of Shipping had earlier resorted to such corruption in the driver’s test and it was caught and a departmental investigation committee was formed to investigate into the irregularities. But, the reports of all those investigative committees have not seen the light of day.
Who are Sagor and Tuser?
It has been found out that, the house of Tuser is in the greater Faridpur district. In Motijheel area, he is known as drug addicted Tuser.
According to the locals, he is addicted to Yaba. He has embezzled money from more than 100 candidates by promising to pass them in the master and drivership examinations. Many, who have become swindled by him, are now chasing him for refunding the money. He was also beaten by some of them several times.
He sometime introduces himself as the leader of Juba League and sometime as the leader of Chhatra League.
On the other hand, Sagor Saha’s house is in Shariatpur district. Previously, he was an employee of the Casino and Gambling Board at the Mohammedan Club. After closing of the casino gambling, he emerged as a master and driver test broker on the recommendation of a former Chief Engineer in the Department of Shipping.
He deceives people by introducing himself as relative of some top level leaders of AL.
While contacted, Sagor and Tuser have denied the allegations which have brought against them.
They said, there is no base of the allegations. Now the master and drivership examinations are being conducted with 100 percent transparency. The question papers are prepared just an hour before the examination, so there is no scope of leaking out the question papers. Besides, members of the intelligence agencies including the officials of the Ministry of Shipping remain present during the examinations.
While this correspondent tried to contact with the Chief Engineer and Ship Surveyor Manjurul Kabir over cell phone yesterday for his comment in this regard, he did not respond.