The Department of Inspection and Audit (DIA) conducted the audit and uncovered the fraud by cross-checking the document with the issuing authorities, the non-government teachers’ registration and certification authority (NTRCA). The DIA found that the actual certificate was issued to a certain Delwar Hossain Chowdhury and later Snigdha Rani faked it using the serial number.
The authorities concluded that her appointment was illegal and she will have to return all the salary she received till the date. The total amount she received until February 2019 when the audit was carried out has been calculated at a little more than Tk 1,000,000.
The DIA audited the college nearly three years back, but submitted the audit report along with its recommendation in January this year.
This is not the lone case of certificate forgery. The DIA found a total 1,156 similar cases at the non-government educational institutions across the country and recommended that the authorities remove the concerned teachers and take their total salaries back.
However, the total amount recommended to be taken back could not be ascertained. As per information obtained by Prothom Alo, the DIA recommended to take back Tk 150 million that was paid to teachers with fake certificates in Khulna and Barishal divisions.
The DIA, under the ministry of education, audits educational institutions and makes necessary recommendations in order to improve quality of education and maintain financial transparency. DIA director Professor Oliullah Md Azmatgir said his office submits audit report and the education ministry takes further step.
At one time the managing committee of a non-government educational institution used to have the sole authority of teacher recruitment. But things have changed and the teachers are now recruited centrally through the NTRCA. There is no scope for recruiting teachers without NTRCA certificate.
The DIA report found that 793 of the 1,156 teachers had provided fake NTRCA certificates while 296 others provided false computer skill certificates and 67 fake BEd, secretarial and other certificates.
