A Dhaka court yesterday sent Education Minister's Personal Officer (PO) Md Motaleb Hossain and Education Ministry staff Nasir Uddin and Lakehead Grammar School director Khalid Hasan to jail in a case filed against them on various graft charges, including exchanging bribes, reports UNB.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ziarul Islam passed the order at around 4.50pm rejecting their bail petition. Sub-inspector Monirul Islam Mrida of detective Branch of Police of South Division filed the case against them on Monday night on various charges, including exchanging bribes, said Rafiz Uddin Ahmed, sub-inspector of Banani Police Station.

Meanwhile, Motaleb Hossain and Nasir Uddin were suspended by the ministry yesterday. Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said his ministry has suspended two of its employees for their alleged involvement in corruptions and irregularities.

“We have suspended them from the ministry. We will take departmental proceedings against them. Their suspension will continue till the court finalise the matter,” he added.  

The minister told the journalists at an emergency meeting on the preparation of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations at the Secretariat following a question of a journalist.

Asked about another employee of the ministry Abu Alam, who is absent from the office without any leave, the minister said, “It is difficult for me to keep news about all employers and employee who are absent from the ministry. If the person is missing, there is news to the police. We would also take information of it.”

“Police high-ups told me about two persons involved in corruptions. If there is any person involved in corruptions, we will not tolerate it. Legal action will be taken against them,” he added.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Iqbal Mahmud  yesterday said the commission has already begun an investigation against some Education Ministry officials for their alleged involvement in graft.

"The investigation has already begun against some Education Ministry officials over their reported involvement in bribery and corruption. It's not only the Education Ministry, the Commission will also investigate if there's any corruption in other ministries," he said.

Iqbal Mahmud came up with the remarks after a function at the auditorium of the Commission's head office in response to queries from journalists.

The function was arranged marking its signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ACC and the CLP-USA (a group of Bangladeshi nationals in the United States), Gunijan Trust and Kite Bangladesh.

On Sunday night, Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested missing Lakehead Grammar School owner Khaled Hasan Motin, Nahid's PO Motaleb Hossain and the Education Ministry staff Nasir Uddin from different areas of the city.

Earlier, Motaleb went missing from the capital on Saturday. His brother filed a general diary with Hazaribagh Police Station in this regard.

Lakehead Grammar School owner Khaled Hasan Motin also went missing on Saturday. Nasir Uddin, an upper division clerk of Education Ministry, remained traceless since Thursday afternoon.

On November 6, 2017, the government suspended the academic functions of Lakehead Grammar School at Dhanmondi branch and two other branches at Gulshan on charges of patronising religious extremism and militancy. According to the Education Ministry, the school was running without approval from the ministry.