A number of allegations have been levelled against the top bosses of the Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) regarding illegally availing of incentive allowances and bill payments. They have also been accused of permitting new trade wings for institutions in exchange of money and in violation of field inspection reports.

Though not entitled to incentive allowances for working in the confidential section of the education board, its chairman and secretary have allegedly taken such allowances. As per the 152nd meeting of the BTEB on April 6, 2016, incentive allowances for working in the confidential section was fifth on an agenda of 11 items. It was said that such allowances would be given to encourage persons doing a risky job in the section.

The meeting admitted that persons in the confidential section have to work tirelessly in locked rooms for certain periods during the preparation and distribution of question papers. So it approved that people in the section would be given incentive allowances amounting to half of their basic pay twice a year for working at the time of diploma-in-engineering exams.

It is learnt that persons who work from 9am to 7pm in the section are entitled to such allowances.

But BTEB chairman Mostafizur Rahman and secretary Nayeb Ali Mondol have been taking the allowances without meeting the eligibility criterion. As per the bill report, the chairman has received Tk. 17,800 for working in the confidential

section from January 1, 2016 to June 30, 2016, while the secretary received Tk. 15,875 for working there during the same period.

During the same period, 22 persons, including the chairman and the secretary, were on duty, and the total amount of allowances drawn was Tk. 140,949.50.

In addition, the chairman and the secretary received Tk. 1,500 each for working at the confidential section for 10 days from January 9, 2016 to January 18, 2016.

Earlier, in 2015, BTEB chairman Mostafizur Rahman and then secretary Abdul Haque Talukder had received Tk. 2,850 each for working at the confidential section for 19 days from Septermber 5, 2015 to September 23, 2015.

On June 29, 2016, the chairman and the secretary also received another bill of Tk. 450, but the bill copy did not contain any details. Sources said the payment was made for working in the confidential section.

Although the board had decided that only those working long hours at a stretch under lock and key in the confidential section would be entitled to such incentives, the top BTEB bosses have been enjoying the allowances.

When the BTEB chairman was asked whether he had worked in the section behind locked doors, he said: “I only visited the section once.”

When reminded of the board’s decision that only those who worked in locked rooms would receive the allowances, the chairman kept his mum.

In another allegation, the chairman, the secretary and the BTEB controller of examinations are said to have submitted bills for sending certificates and transcripts to institutions for the diploma-in-engineering examinations held in December 2016.

The chairman received Tk 24,500 and the secretary Tk 21,500 for taking care of the academic transcripts, while the controller of examinations, Sushil Kumar Pal, received Tk. 19,000 for the same job and Tk. 15,344 for signing the academic transcripts.

However, sources said they were not entitled to such compensations, as the sending of papers was not part of their function. Instead, those who actually did the work were entitled to get the money, the sources added.

BTEB sources alleged that a portion of every monetary deal goes to the top bosses and the accounts section. It is even alleged the BTEB has been giving permission for the opening of new trade wings in institutions in exchange of large sums of money without any field inspection.

On April 3, 2016, the Digital Computer Training Centre in Pabna applied to the BTEB, seeking permission to open five new trades—apparel merchandising, Autocad, sewing machine operation, dress-making and tailoring, electrical house wiring.

Following the application, BTEB secretary Nayeb Ali Mondol and Pabna Polytechnic Institute principal Morad Hossain Molla visited the spot on April 22 and recommended four trades excluding Autocad. The recommendation was signed by the secretary.  But in the note sheet of July 20, 2016, Autocad was included and dress-making and tailoring were excluded. The note bore the signatures of the secretary, chairman, and others.

“I don’t know how the board had done it. I only requested them on the matter. I don’t know about any field report,” Jayanta Kumar, director of the Digital Computer Training Centre, told The Independent on Tuesday.

“When any trade is given to any institution, the field visit is final,” BTEB chairman Mostafizur Rahman told The Independent on Sunday.

When asked how the Digital Computer Training Centre obtained Autocad when the field visitors had recommended against it, the chairman said he had to look into the matter. He declined to make further comments on the issue.

Apart for monetary irregularities, the BTEB chairman is also accused of allowing preferential treatment to board officials of his personal choice. In doing so, he did not even pay heed to recommendations made by authorities concerned to take punitive action against some board officials but preferred to promote some of them as well.

For instance, Shamsul Alam, a curriculum specialist of the board was accused of taking bribe for issuing permission to open a fake HSC (BM) course at Tabiul Mursalinnagar Technical School and College in Netrakona in 2014.

Besides, he also gave permission to form a fake ad hoc committee at Bogra Technological Institute violating the existing rules and regulations.

On the back of such allegations, the BTEB formed a three-member committee to investigate the charges. The probe committee found Shamsul Alam responsible for the aforesaid charges and recommended action against him as per disciplinary rules.

But, the board chairman did not take any action following the recommendations of the probe committee. In an arbitrary move, Shamsul Alam was promoted to deputy director (accounts and audit) with the scale of Tk 22,500.

In another incident, as per a letter signed by its Deputy Secretary Subodh Chandra Dhaali on 12 June 2017, the Technical and Madrasa Division of the education ministry recommended the BTEB chairman to take action against BTEB Deputy Inspector Abdul Hamid as he provided ‘false report’ without visiting a spot.

But, the BTEB chairman did not pay heed to the ministry recommendation and took no action against Hamid.