Sending cadets abroad with fake papers

No action yet against marine institute

The Department of Shipping (DoS) is yet to take any action against the Shah Marine and Business Institute that has been involved in sending cadets abroad with fake documents.
Though DoS officials said the department is unable to take any legal step as the department does not have any specific rule, concerned experts opposed the idea.  “We do not have a specific law to file cases against the Shah Marine and Business Institute,” Parvin Sultana, prosecution officer of the DoS, told this correspondent.
But former director general of DoS Commodore Zakiur Rahman Bhuiyan told The Independent that the DoS could take legal action against the company.
 “It is not true that legal move can not be initiated against the company. If any company or individual is involved in such crime,  they can be tried in the existing law,” he added.
When his attention was drawn why action was not taken against Shah Marine, he said, “Since they committed the crime for the first time, the DoS didn’t take any tough step. Instead, the operation of the company was suspended for six months.”
According to DoS sources, some DoS officials are involved in shielding the owner from punishment in exchange of money, the sources alleged.
An inquiry committee set up by the DoS suggested filing of a criminal case and cancellation of the licence of the Shah Marine and Business Institute.
The probe body found that the institute had committed several irregularities. The maritime academy is involved in training cadets for seagoing ships and manning services.
The DoS had formed the three-member probe committee on August 19 last year. It was headed by Nurul Alam Nizami, director of the Directorate of Sailors and Expatriate Labour Welfare in Chittagong. The committee was told to inquire about sending of five cadets to India with fake documents in June 2015.
The two other members of the probe committee were Fauzia Rahman, assistant chemist of the DoS, and Mohammad Khaled Salahuddin, instructor of the Marine Academy, Chittagong.
According to the probe report, the authorities of the Shah Marine and Business Institute had sent five cadets—Quamrul Hasan, Mohammad Abdullah Mamun, Sohel Rana, Abdullah Al Mamun and Shaikot Bagchi Shuvro—through its sister organisation, the Shah Shipping Recruiting Agency, to India in June 2015.
The five victims had given their statements before the probe committee. They said they had to pay Tk. 22 lakh each to the  institute for a two-year pre-sea course in the deck section. They also paid Tk 2.80 lakh each to go to Delhi from Kolkata.
According to the probe report, the Indian agent of the Shah Marine Recruiting Agency, Rahul Sharma, kept all the passports and other original documents from the Bangladeshi cadets before putting them on the ship Radha Krishna IV on June 2,  2015.
On June 23, 2015, the Indian agent put the Bangladeshi cadets on another Indian ship, Radha Krishna III, with fake Indian citizenship ID cards and other documents from the Dharamtar port, the probe report said.
The fake appointment letters of the Bangladeshi cadets were prepared by using the name of “Harbour Institute of Merchant Navy”, which had no existence under the Directorate General of Shipping in India.
The probe committee also found the NOCs issued against the cadets were fake and that the Shah Marine Recruiting Agency had prepared them by forging DoS signatures.
 According to the report, the Shah Marine and Business Institute violated all rules and regulation of both local and international maritime laws.
 The probe committee felt the institute had committed criminal offence to harass the Bangladeshi cadets in exchange for a large amount of money by providing fake documents abroad. The institute also tarnished the country’s image abroad, the probe report said, adding that it was also involved in sending cadets to the UK illegally.  The committee suggested filing of criminal cases against the owner and related persons of the Shah Marine and Business Institute.

Sending cadets abroad with fake papers

No action yet against marine institute

The Department of Shipping (DoS) is yet to take any action against the Shah Marine and Business Institute that has been involved in sending cadets abroad with fake documents. Though DoS officials said the department is unable to take any legal step as the department does not have any specific rule, concerned experts opposed the idea. We do not have a specific law to file cases against the Shah Marine and Business Institute, Parvin Sultana, prosecution officer of the DoS, told this correspondent. But former director general of DoS Commodore Zakiur Rahman Bhuiyan told The Independent that the DoS could take legal action against the company. It is not true that legal move can not be initiated against the company. If any company or individual is involved in such crime, they can be tried in the existing law, he added. When his attention was drawn why action was not taken against Shah Marine, he said, Since they committed the crime for the first time, the DoS didnt take any tough step. Instead, the operation of the company was suspended for six months. According to DoS sources, some DoS officials are involved in shielding the owner from punishment in exchange of money, the sources alleged. An inquiry committee set up by the DoS suggested filing of a criminal case and cancellation of the licence of the Shah Marine and Business Institute. The probe body found that the institute had committed several irregularities. The maritime academy is involved in training cadets for seagoing ships and manning services. The DoS had formed the three-member probe committee on August 19 last year. It was headed by Nurul Alam Nizami, director of the Directorate of Sailors and Expatriate Labour Welfare in Chittagong. The committee was told to inquire about sending of five cadets to India with fake documents in June 2015. The two other members of the probe committee were Fauzia Rahman, assistant chemist of the DoS, and Mohammad Khaled Salahuddin, instructor of the Marine Academy, Chittagong. According to the probe report, the authorities of the Shah Marine and Business Institute had sent five cadetsQuamrul Hasan, Mohammad Abdullah Mamun, Sohel Rana, Abdullah Al Mamun and Shaikot Bagchi Shuvrothrough its sister organisation, the Shah Shipping Recruiting Agency, to India in June 2015. The five victims had given their statements before the probe committee. They said they had to pay Tk. 22 lakh each to the institute for a two-year pre-sea course in the deck section. They also paid Tk 2.80 lakh each to go to Delhi from Kolkata. According to the probe report, the Indian agent of the Shah Marine Recruiting Agency, Rahul Sharma, kept all the passports and other original documents from the Bangladeshi cadets before putting them on the ship Radha Krishna IV on June 2, 2015. On June 23, 2015, the Indian agent put the Bangladeshi cadets on another Indian ship, Radha Krishna III, with fake Indian citizenship ID cards and other documents from the Dharamtar port, the probe report said. The fake appointment letters of the Bangladeshi cadets were prepared by using the name of Harbour Institute of Merchant Navy, which had no existence under the Directorate General of Shipping in India. The probe committee also found the NOCs issued against the cadets were fake and that the Shah Marine Recruiting Agency had prepared them by forging DoS signatures. According to the report, the Shah Marine and Business Institute violated all rules and regulation of both local and international maritime laws. The probe committee felt the institute had committed criminal offence to harass the Bangladeshi cadets in exchange for a large amount of money by providing fake documents abroad. The institute also tarnished the countrys image abroad, the probe report said, adding that it was also involved in sending cadets to the UK illegally. The committee suggested filing of criminal cases against the owner and related persons of the Shah Marine and Business Institute.