Tk 60 Cr Scam: Over 2,000 Illegal Primary Teacher Transfers Hit
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
A powerful syndicate within the education sector executed a “transfer trade” scam shortly after the new government took power, pocketing at least Tk 60 crore in just four months despite having no vacant positions.
The ring ignored all online regulations and “managed” officials to complete nearly 2,000 illegal transfers, charging each teacher between TK 3-5 lakh in bribes. The operation only stopped after the Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took notice, but by then the syndicate had already finalized its deals.
Committees and intelligence agencies are investigating the irregularities, which targeted assistant teachers at government primary schools between March and June.
The majority of these postings were not made against vacant seats but were instead carried out through deputation or “attachment” to prestigious schools in Dhaka and other metropolitan areas.
After the matter reached PM, he summoned the Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on 15 June and ordered an immediate halt to these transfers.
An analysis by Agamir Somoy of over a hundred transfer orders revealed that not a single one was processed online, despite regulations requiring teacher transfers to be completed digitally and the orders posted on the website. Instead, everything was handled manually.
Milon informed Tarique that to stop this, political lobbying must first be eliminated. To this end, he proposed forming a transfer-related committee. He said instead of keeping transfers centralized, they could be decentralized by forming a four-tier committee.
Tarique agreed to the proposal, and on 21 June, the ministry issued a new notification forming committees at the upazila, district, divisional, and national levels.
Milon told Agamir Somoy, “PM wants teacher transfers to be 100 percent transparent. There were some complications. Four-tier committees have been formed to remove those. Now, decisions regarding transfers will be taken according to the committee’s recommendations.
“Transfer is a basic need for teachers; we want it to be done systematically. Because if the matter is kept open, various types of lobbying occur, and third parties take advantage.”
A review of the transfer orders showed that the highest number of transfers, 944, occurred in March, followed by April and May. This transfer trade continued until 20 June.
On 25 March, through two separate orders, Sourabi Khanam, an assistant teacher at Nidaraband Government Primary School in Bijoynagar Upazila, Brahmanbaria, was attached to Kalachandpur Government Primary School in Gulshan, Dhaka.
Similarly, Masuma Khatun, an assistant teacher at Bheramara Board Government Primary School in Bheramara Upazila, Kushtia, was attached to Ashrafabad Government Primary School in Mohammadpur, Dhaka.
Evidence of over a hundred such orders has been found. This transfer-trade network was not limited to Dhaka; it extended outside Dhaka as well. Proof of this is found in several orders from 4 April, where transfers were issued at the upazila, inter-district, and divisional levels in various districts including Netrokona, Kishoreganj, Habiganj, and Sylhet.
Administration officials said for the past decade, the designated period for transfers was from January to March each year. There was a logical explanation for this: sudden transfers throughout the year create teacher shortages in schools, which severely disrupts the education of young students.
For this reason, it was mandatory to complete all transfer processes within the first three months of the academic year.
Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) Director General Shahina Ferdousi, who is responsible for teacher transfers, told Agamir Somoy, “The ministry gives approval for transfers. We only send those orders to the field level for implementation. The Ministry can provide the explanation as to why transfers were done offline instead of taking applications online.”
She added that she did not know exactly how many transfers had taken place over the three months.
Investigations have revealed that the education administration is in an uproar over these teacher transfers. Efforts are being made to determine who lobbied for how many transfers.
Although the office of the State Minister of Education sent transfer files for approval several times, Education Minister blocked them.
Education Secretary Sakhawat Hossain expressed hope that the chaotic environment created over the last four months regarding transfers would be significantly reduced if handled through the committee.
He told Agamir Somoy that the transfers that occurred were done according to the instructions of the authorities and that references for every order are preserved.
Public Administration Expert Firoz Mia told Agamir Somoy, “The online transfer process has been completely bypassed. These hand-delivered orders themselves prove that a massive syndicate worked behind the scenes, flouting rules and regulations in teacher transfers.
“At a time when the government has made the online system mandatory to free the transfer process from bribes, middleman syndicates, and influence, issuing these transfer orders is not only a violation of directives but also calls into question the goals of digital administration and good governance.”
