A land of frauds
Chinmay Prasun Biswas
Part-II
A report of the Bangla Tribune dated 02 May 2019 informs that introducing himself as a magistrate of DNCC, Mohd. Bin Zahir Bhuiyan demanded Tk. 10,000/- from a restaurant of Gulshan Avenue and threatened to conduct a mobile court. Being doubtful, the owner of the restaurant informed it to the actual executive magistrate and that man was arrested and was jailed for 6 months.
A report of ntv news informs that one Mehdi Hasan, introducing himself as an additional secretary of Ministry of Public Administration, entered into Jashore Circuit House, but being doubtful at his behavior, staffs there informed the district administration. On interrogation he admitted his fake identity and informed that he came there to resolve a land litigation and he was sentenced simple imprisonment of two years by the executive magistrate on the charge of cheating.
A report of the daily Samakal (23 February 2016) informs that introducing himself as joint secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one Khorshed Alam entered into Magura Circuit House. Using a costly car he went to a jewellery shop and purchased 5 tolas of gold ornament but without paying the price he tactfully slipped away.
Analysing footage of close circuit camera police identified the vehicle but the person could not be traced.
Health is a basic need of human life and physicians are an integral part of it but this sector is also flooded by fakes. From a report of the daily Samakal (25 February 2019) it is known that collecting the certificate of Akram Hossain Didar, a deceased physician of Bagerhat, one Akhtaruzzaman of Ullapara, Sirajganj, having academic qualification upto HSC, started practice as an ENT specialist and surgeon at different clinics of Bagerhat and Chandpur. At one stage, he was arrested and was imprisoned for six months. Introducing himself as a specialist he also married several times. In many other fields of society fakes are very active and dominant. A report of the daily Sangram dated 18 November 2011 informs that one Hafizur Rahman Zahid was arrested on charge of cheating.
Introducing himself as an unmarried senior assistant secretary of police section of Ministry of Home he used to publish advertisements. Being tempted, girls and their guardians contacted him.
Taking this advantage he developed illicit relationship with many girls and extracted huge amount of money. He was arrested by RAB 2 and he confessed that in this process he married five girls and stayed with them at different hotels.
Even he extracted Tk. 50,000/- from an Officer in Charge of Mainamati Thana under Comilla District.
Many quacks are using the word doctor (Dr.) with their names but without being a member of BMDC nobody has the authority to use it. Details of 70,000 registered physicians have been included in the website. In case of doubt anybody can verify genuineness of any physician from this website bmdc.org.bd. (Ekushey TV Online, 11 December n2018). It is a very good and effective initiative indeed but at the time of disease, particularly in emergency, people rush for better treatment than to find out genuineness of the physician. However, the attempt is praiseworthy.
No sector is free of fake pwoplw but this situation should not last long. Remembering those lines (Water, water everywhere/ nor any drop to drink) from the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner by S |T Coleridge we may say: Fake, fake everywhere/ nor any genuine to find.
In his masterpiece Gullivers Travels, British author Jonathan Swift has narrated four voyages of Lemuel Gulliver to four remote lands of the world.
The fourth one is Voyage to Houyhnhnmsland (land of horses). Should we need another Swift for a period piece like Land of Fakes?
The writer is a former Commissioner
of Taxes
