Officials of DIA take Tk 2 million upfront and the rest in installments as bribes
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
There are various ways of taking bribes. Some take them openly while others do so secretly. One group takes money at the office while another takes it outside. Some count the money while others take it based on a rough estimate. But officials of the Directorate of Inspection and Audit (DIA) of the education sector seem to surpass everyone else. They take bribes in installments.
The culture of taking bribes by holding back files is not new. What is new is the failure to take action even after the government learns about it. The primary job of education cadre officials is teaching. Yet instead of doing that job they become desperate to get inspection duties. The reason is the “cash money” available there. Inspectors blackmail teachers at the grassroots level by taking advantage of various irregularities. There are also cases of fraud where one person is working using another person's certificate. Some have changed their registration while others studied humanities but are teaching science.
Inspectors remain on the lookout for such irregularities. Once they find an irregularity they put pressure on the person. Depending on the type of fraud the bribe is determined as either a onetime payment or installments. For minor irregularities it can be equivalent to one month's MPO salary. For major irregularities the amount is higher. There are also instances of taking an amount equivalent to one month's salary of all teachers and employees of an institution as a gift even when no irregularity was committed. The department's main responsibilities include auditing the administrative recruitment and financial affairs of educational institutions. Detecting fake certificates is also part of its duties. Inspectors pay more attention to recruitment and fake certificates because the level of irregularities and bribery is higher in these areas.
In the past 10 years 12,000 such files have been found at the DIA where officials allegedly collected money by blackmailing people according to information obtained by Agamir Somoy. There are allegations that officials provided positive reports after receiving money or made investigation reports disappear. Those who did not pay faced punitive action.
The Education Ministry remained indifferent even though bribes were collected in installments. During the ousted Awami League government inspectors secured postings through political lobbying. Postings could also be obtained in exchange for money. The same practice continued during the interim government. It was difficult to take action against inspectors. There was not even a specific deadline for submitting reports.
To get out of this situation the DIA has suspended inspections since March. On August 20 it sent letters to 47 inspectors asking them to submit pending reports.
Evidence has been found of inspectors taking bribes in installments from teachers and employees of several institutions. One such institution is Mahidia Sammiloni Mohila Alim Madrasa in Sadar upazila of Jashore.
In 2018 then inspector Dr Enamul Haque inspected 10 educational institutions together. Although he submitted reports on nine institutions, he did not submit the report on Mahidia. Seven years later when he was asked to submit the report Enamul said he had already submitted it. However, there is no record of it in the relevant file. Enamul said, “If the Directorate loses the report what can I do?”
An investigation into the report uncovered shocking information about fraud. Six teachers are accused of securing jobs through fraud. Mathematics lecturer Tarikul Islam is working using the certificate of another person named Tarikul. The NTRCA certificate of political science lecturer Sharmin Akter is in the name of Shimul Hossain. Assistant Maulvi Amena Khatun is working using the documents of Asma Khatun. Three other lecturers Mustak Ahmed, Abdul Qayyum and Masum Parvez obtained jobs through fraud after earning bachelor's degrees in social work but were appointed to teach chemistry, physics and botany respectively. Mustak Ahmed is also accused of having no certificate of his own. However, he denied the allegations and said he secured the job using his own certificate.
There are allegations that Dr Enamul took Tk 2 million as an upfront payment from the institution and Tk 300,000 separately from each of the six accused teachers. He later began collecting bribes from the six teachers in installments. The report has reportedly still not been submitted.
In November 2025 the DIA sent another inspector. He also submitted a perfunctory report. Then director of the institution Professor Shahidul Islam said, “The previous report of the institution was missing. So I instructed them to submit a report after a thorough review.”
Agamir Somoy has investigated at least 10 institutions over allegations of taking bribes in installments by holding back reports. Evidence of collecting money from teachers and employees of each institution has been found.
In Jashore Dr Enamul allegedly took bribes equivalent to one month's salary from 200 teachers and employees during the same tour. The Anti-Corruption Commission filed a case against him over the allegation. The case is ongoing. He was later transferred to Shariatpur but allegations say the collection of bribes in installments did not stop. Auditors were also used to collect money in installments.
Dr Enamul did not want to comment citing the ongoing ACC case. Four teachers of the madrasa admitted to paying bribes and said they were forced to pay in installments. They regularly received threats that a report would be submitted against them.
Education Minister Ehsanul Haque Milan made critical remarks about the entire DIA. He said, “Officials of this organization go to educational institutions for inspections and take an amount equal to one month's MPO salary from teachers and employees. Education cadre officials crowd the ministry the most to get postings here.”
Bribery Ring Around 12,500 Reports
The number of reports pending from 2015 to July 2024 is around 12,500. A bribery ring operated by holding back these reports.
After the political change the DIA was headed at different times by Kazi Kaiyum Shishir, Saiful Islam, Shahidul Islam and Aflatoon. Saiful Islam focused on resolving pending reports through a “crash program.” Some inspectors began refusing to cooperate with the initiative.
The latest DIA data shows that 1,796 reports are stuck due to a lack of responses to tripartite audit objections. Even after the crash program 713 reports remain pending with 47 inspectors. Former inspector Hemayet Uddin is at the top of the list with 298 pending reports. Nine of them have retired.
In response to a question Madhyamik and Higher Education Division Secretary Abdul Khaleque told Agamir Somoy that no new tour would take place while previous reports remain pending. Anyone found to have demanded a bribe during an inspection would be transferred.
Fewer Inspections More Reports
The current Education Ministry is focusing more on submitting previous reports than conducting new inspections. In the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year 2,121 educational institutions were inspected while 1,887 reports were submitted. In the following fiscal year 2,209 institutions were inspected but only 1,349 reports were submitted. In the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year 2,358 institutions were inspected but only 1,026 reports were submitted. The situation changed somewhat after the political change. In the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year the number of inspections fell sharply to 712.
DIA Director Professor Aflatoon said, “I have clearly told everyone that no new tour will take place while any previous report remains pending. Many people are unhappy about this but I have nothing to do about it. I am trying to restore the image of the department.”
Ministry's Directives Also Ignored
When the Education Ministry asked the DIA for the number of pending reports in March the information had still not been submitted even after seven months. Super Abu Sufian has been accused of withholding the information amid allegations that the long-standing opportunity for bribery surrounding unresolved reports would end.
Madhyamik and Higher Education Division Joint Secretary (Audit) Ashraful Alam said, “The number of pending reports has still not been received. Why they have not been submitted is being investigated.”
Old Syndicate New Format
After the political change on August 5, 2024 new syndicates were formed at the DIA from time to time. Inspector Mokbular Rahman was at the top of one such syndicate. He currently identifies himself as a relative of an MP. Although a complaint was filed with the ACC alleging that he took bribes equivalent to one month's salary from all teachers during an inspection of Forkkabad High School in Chandpur no investigation was conducted. He has also recently been accused of taking bribes during inspections of 10 madrasas. Mokbular Rahman said all the allegations are false.
The list also includes Gazi Kawser, Abu Daud David, Kawser Hossain, Fazilatunnesa Mitu, Audit Officer Chandan Kumar Deb and Wahed. A female inspector who joined the civil service through the 32nd BCS has also been accused of taking money from one side during an investigation into a college in Jatrabari and submitting a biased report. The matter is under investigation.
Assistant Education Inspector Fazilatunnesa Mitu has also been accused of taking bribes from several institutions in Gopalganj. Although she was transferred outside Dhaka she allegedly had the order cancelled through a former adviser. Kawser Hossain was transferred after a departmental case was filed against him over allegations of bribery. He later returned to the DIA and allegedly became more reckless. He did not respond when contacted for comment. Education Inspector Shaila Sharmin Suchi has also been accused of bribery.
Five Alleged Cashiers of Directors and Joint Directors
Education Inspector Sanjoy Chandra Mondal, Abu Daud, Rokonuzzaman Rajib, Azim Kabir and Superintendent Abu Sufian have been accused of working as “cashiers” for former DIA directors and joint directors. Along with overseeing financial matters they allegedly designed which inspector would be sent to which institution.
Abu Sufian who has been at the DIA for a long time allegedly used to explain how much money would be collected as bribes from each institution. There are also allegations that Sufian informally controlled former directors Shahidul Islam and Saiful Islam. It is also alleged that inspection reports could not be approved without his signal.
Denying the allegations Abu Sufian said, “I am a junior official. Why would the director depend on me? I work as instructed. Some people in the Directorate have targeted me.”
