Four Arrested in BDT 1.7m Police Recruitment Scam in Rangpur

The Detective Branch (DB) of the Rangpur District Police has arrested four members of an organised fraud syndicate involved in a recruitment racket, where a candidate was promised a post in the police service in exchange for BDT 1.7 million. The gang was apprehended while attempting to facilitate entry for a proxy candidate using a forged admit card during the Cadet Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI – Unarmed) written examination.

The individuals arrested have been identified as Md. Ashraful Islam (21), a resident of Parbatipur in Dinajpur; Md. Tajmilur Rahman (19), residing in Rangpur; Md. Badsha Masud Alam (48), an employee of the Fire Service and Civil Defence office in Kamalkachhna, Rangpur; and Nurul Islam (20). A fifth suspect, Md. Nurul Islam (46), remains at large and has been named as an absconding accused in the case.

According to police sources, DB officers deployed outside the main gate of the Police Lines School and College examination centre observed suspicious movement from Ashraful Islam at approximately 4:30 pm on Friday (31 July). Upon immediate verification, officers confirmed that the admit card in his possession was counterfeit. Concurrently, law enforcement officers apprehended Tajmilur Rahman, who had arrived at the venue to sit the examination as a proxy for Ashraful.

During preliminary interrogation, Ashraful disclosed that Badsha Masud Alam and his associate, Nurul Islam, had contracted to secure him the Cadet ASI position for BDT 1.7 million. As an advance payment under the agreement, Ashraful had remitted BDT 250,000 from Dinajpur into a designated account held at Dhaka Bank.

Following the bank transfer, the syndicate delivered a forged admit card to Ashraful via WhatsApp. Under the official recruitment regulations of the Bangladesh Police, candidates must successfully undergo a mandatory Physical Endurance Test (PET) before being eligible for the written examination. However, Ashraful had never taken part in the physical screening, exposing the full extent of the fraudulent attempt when he sought entry into the exam hall.

Acting on information elicited from Ashraful, a DB team conducted a raid in the Jahaj Company More commercial hub of Rangpur city, arresting Badsha Masud Alam. Forensic examination of Alam’s mobile phone uncovered vital digital evidence establishing his direct involvement in money transfers, document forgery, and fraudulent communications.

Interrogation of Alam revealed that the syndicate created fake admit cards and systematically duped public-sector jobseekers. The ring also attempted to mislead senior law enforcement officers by impersonating high-ranking government functionaries during telephone calls.

A formal case has been registered at the Kotwali Metropolitan Police Station. Najmul Kader, Officer-in-Charge of the police station, stated that law enforcement drives remain ongoing to track down the absconding suspect and dismantle the wider network.