A list of those who became cadres by using leaked question papers of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) is being prepared based on Abed Ali’s confessional statement.
On Tuesday, Abed Ali gave the confessional statement at the court of Judge Mohammad Nurul Huda Chowdhury of the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court, admitting his involvement in question paper leaks for 30 recruitment exams, including the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) exams over the past 12 years.
According to sources, Abed Ali has disclosed the names of those who became cadres using the leaked questions.
Authorities are currently verifying the information provided by the arrested individuals, said sources linked to the investigation into the question paper leaks case.
Abed Ali, a former driver for the Public Service Commission (PSC), hails from the village of Paschim Botla in Baligram Union, Dasar Upazila, Madaripur. He rose from being a railway station porter and rickshaw driver to becoming a driver for the PSC chairman and eventually a millionaire. In his locality, he is known as a philanthropist.
It was discovered that Abed Ali was the driver for Professor Mahfuzur Rahman, a former PSC member convicted in a corruption case. Abed Ali was part of a group led by Mahfuzur Rahman, responsible for recruiting "customers" for their scheme.
Professor Mahfuzur faced allegations of taking bribes and other irregularities during the oral examination of the 27th BCS. He was listed among the top 50 suspected corrupt individuals by the Anti-Corruption Commission during the caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed.
Investigations suggest that Abed Ali became involved in the question leak syndicate through Mahfuzur Rahman. Initial interrogation revealed that many BCS cadres were selected using leaked questions provided by Abed's group.
During preliminary questioning, Abed Ali admitted to owning assets worth hundreds of crores of taka, including a six-story building, three flats, and a car in Dhaka, as well as a duplex in his village.
Sources also indicated that in the last three months, at least Tk25 crore were transacted through bank accounts linked to Abed's syndicate. With the help of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, the CID has seized bank account records of 17 suspects.
Tawhidul Islam, Special Superintendent of Cyber Investigation and Operations at the CID, confirmed that they have evidence linking 17 arrested individuals, including PSC officials, to the leak of the question paper for the railway recruitment exam held on 5 July. He also mentioned that the syndicate was involved in leaking questions for several other exams.
Local sources said Abed Ali first gained prominence in 2004 by securing a job at the Roads and Highways Department for a resident of Dasar upazila. He subsequently arranged jobs for many others in the area.
Despite being a driver, Abed Ali presented himself as a businessman in the area. Except for his family and neighbors, everyone believed he was a successful businessman in Dhaka.
When Dasar was declared a new upazila, separated from Kalkini, Abed Ali started campaigning to become the upazila chairman.
He tried to build a philanthropic image by donating to local mosques, temples, orphanages, and various social organisations.
