Teaching with a Fake Certificate for 20 Years: Who Holds Responsibility?

A teacher at Daudpur Girls' High School in Nawabganj Upazila, Dinajpur, has allegedly been teaching for 20 years using a forged registration certificate from the Non-Government Teachers' Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA). The accused teacher is Rebeka Sultana, who teaches Social Science.

The forgery was initially detected in 2019 during an inspection by the Directorate of Inspection and Audit (DIA) under the Ministry of Education. The report submitted by Inspector Tutul Kumar Nag explicitly labeled her certificate as fake. However, it is alleged that no visible administrative action was taken against her following that report for mysterious reasons.

According to school records, Rebeka Sultana was appointed as an assistant teacher in 2006. To verify her credentials, a formal letter was sent to the NTRCA on September 21, 2022.

In response, via a memo dated September 26, 2022, the NTRCA confirmed that her certificate was not authentic. Consequently, the authority stated that her appointment was not legally valid and she was not entitled to receive government salaries and benefits. Furthermore, the report noted that the 1,440,900 BDT she drew in salary between September 23, 2006, and November 30, 2019, is refundable to the government treasury.

Regarding the allegations, Rebeka Sultana claimed, "I sat for the registration exam and received the certificate. I do not understand why the audit report labeled it as fake. I have resubmitted the necessary documents to the relevant department to clarify the matter."

The school's Principal, Fazlul Haque, said, "It is a prima facie that the registration certificate of the Social Science teacher working at our institution is fake. We are looking into the matter seriously, and necessary steps will be taken according to the rules."

Nawabganj Upazila Secondary Education Officer Dipak Kumar Banik said while he is aware of the issue, his office has not yet received an official copy of the report. He explained that such documents are usually sent to the District Secondary Education Office with copies forwarded to the head of the institution. He assured that action would be taken after reviewing the details.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Zillur Rahman told Agamir Somoy that "I have been informed of the matter. A proper investigation will be conducted through the concerned department, and legal action will be taken as per the regulations."

District Secondary Education Officer Khandaker Md. Alauddin Al Azadsaid the allegations regarding the forged certificate are being verified. He emphasized that if the allegations are proven true, administrative action will be taken in accordance with the law.