Forged credentials
Mushfique Wadud investigates the widespread trend of forging academic certificates
Mushfique Wadud investigates the widespread trend of forging academic certificates
It was another usual day at the Nilkhet book market when, at around 1:30pm, a teenager walks up to one of the computer printing shops. After ensuring that he is not being followed, he goes into the shop and takes out a paper from his bag.
He hands over the paper to the shopkeeper who scans it into his computer. As soon as the shopkeeper returns the paper to the teenager, he goes away for a while leaving the shopkeeper to work on the contents of the document, on his computer.
The shopkeeper prints out the 'modified' contents on a special paper, after working at it for nearly 45 minutes. By 2:30pm, the teenager returns and while he is handed the newly printed document by the shopkeeper, the employee of another shop remarks, 'some people spend 10 years to get a certificate but people like you can get it in just an hour!'
The certificate in question is, of course, a fake, although the incident was very real as witnessed by this correspondent at Daffodil's Printers, at Shop number 174-175 of Baku Shah Market (Nilkhet book market's actual name) on May 5. When asked about fake IELTS certificates, Ziauddin, an employee at one of the book stores at Nilkhet, says, 'any type of certificate is possible, provided you supply an original.'
Some recent incidents involving fake certificates paint a grim picture of how such illegal certificates are being widely used for professional purposes. In June of last year, the Southeast Bank, a leading private bank in Bangladesh, made headlines after dismissing a dozen officers in Chittagong, who, they allege, had submitted forged certificates of their educational qualifications during appointment.
Similar headlines about Judge Faisal Mahmud Faizee of the High Court had raised public interest and brought the 'fake certificate' scam to public knowledge in 2007. However, the conclusion by the University Grants Commission (UGC) probe committee that Mahmud's LLB certificate was, in fact, fake, did little to shake up the authorities at curbing the situation.
The numerous recoveries of fake certificates and people arrested for making these by the law enforcement officials over the years further establishes the notion.
On November 21, 2009 the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Zahid Ahmed and Rezaul Karim from Sylhet's Bondor Bazar area with fake certificates and mark sheets.
ccording to RAB, the two were involved in such activities for quite a while.
The illegal trade has blossomed over the years due to the involvement of modern technology which makes the documents look like originals. 'It is really tough to differentiate a fake from the original,' says Selim Ahmed, a Dhaka University (DU) student at Nilkhet, where a number of unscrupulous shops carry on with the trade.
RAB sources, who made recoveries on numerous occasions, admit to Xtra that it was difficult for even them to identify the fake certificates. 'After making some of the recoveries, we had to send some certificates to the education board for verification,' says Enamul Haque, an assistant director of RAB-7.
He informs Xtra that after managing high quality papers and original certificates, the frauds scan the original certificates. 'Using Photoshop or similar graphics software, they modify certain fields like the name, roll number, registration number, grade information and some other information on the scanned versions of the certificates,' he says.
'After being printed, the new certificate contains the name, desired grades and scores of the person paying the money for the fake document. This is why it is tough to distinguish, as the procedure is more or less the same as a legally printed certificates handed out by school, college or university authorities,' he says.
However, sources inform Xtra that it is difficult for the frauds to make a fake certificate without any original. 'We need to modifications,' says a fake certificate maker, who chose not to divulge his name.
'Sometimes your friend or relative may borrow your certificate citing that they need it just to see your grades, although they are actually going to photocopy it and use this to make fake certificates. Without your knowledge, your roll number, registration number and other details are probably being used in some fake certificate,' he says.
When they do not have any original certificate copies, they get in touch with the education board officials, most of whom provide them with photocopies in exchange for fast cash.
'Whether it is HSC, SSC, Diploma degree, Dhaka University, North South University or any other private or public universities, we will get you the almost-exact certificate of these institutions, provided you will pay us the money,' assures Mohsin, a salesman at Khan Photostat and Computer at shop number 49 and 50 at Baku Shah Market on May 5, when asked about which certificate was available through his shop.
'As getting the paper is a big challenge, you would need to pay extra for some of the certificates for which we would need to contact board officials,' he says.
Enamul also informs Xtra that they had found the involvement of board employees with these groups during recoveries. 'We even arrested some board officials,' he says.
Due to the involvement of such officials and other variables, the price of fake certificate varies. Primarily, the fake document's price will be higher depending on how latest the issuance date on it is supposed to be.
'A 2002 HSC certificate will cost you Tk 2,000; the price will increase if the year increases,' says Mohsin. He mentions that for making such certificates a special and expensive paper called 'Shapla' is required.
'For this paper, you need to pay extra money. You can get GCE Ordinary and Advanced Level certificates between Tk 3,000 to 4,000,' he says.
Although this correspondent had assured the shopkeeper of getting in touch later, Mohsin had jotted down his number. He eventually called this correspondent on the evening of May 5 from the mobile number 01726869169 asking whether he would buy a fake certificate or not.
While fake certificate producing shops are sprouting up in different parts of the country, there are particular areas where these are found aplenty. The Nilkhet computer market is one such centre, most of whose computer shops have computers, high quality printers, scanners and other required equipment for making fake certificates.
Sources inform Xtra that almost all the shops on the first line of block C at Baku Shah market are into the 'illegal certificate' business.
'If you ask the salespersons or shopkeepers here blatantly for certificates, they will refuse to help you and even deny that they are into such trade,' says a tea-stall owner at the area. 'However, they will be ready to bargain if you can get the message across rather discreetly that you are interested in buying such documents,' he adds.
However, this notion is not unknown to the law enforcement forces either, who have made numerous recoveries from the spot over the years. As such, the fake certificate businessmen had to change their strategy.
'As the customers come looking for the certificates here, the deal is completed in this area, only after verifying the authenticity of the customers,' says a salesman of a shop at Nilkhet. 'However, most certificates are made at other locations and are handed over the documents at a ''later-decided'' location,' he adds.
These destinations can be at any part of the city. Some businesses have also opened their shops in residential areas where they operate under the guise of computer and photocopy shops.
RAB has also recovered fake certificates from different residential areas in the city. On July 19, 2009, RAB-10 recovered a significant number of fake certificates, computers, printers and other machineries from a two-storey building of Dhaka's Alambagh under Kodomtoli thana and arrested Abdul Jalil in connection with the illegal documents.
According to RAB-10, Jalil was involved in this business for a long time. RAB also recovered similar items and machineries from Gabtoli, Shyamoli and Mirpur residential areas.
The trade is also going on outside the city in Sylhet, Chittagong and other parts of the country. On February 8, 2009 RAB-9 recovered certificates and arrested a 'fraud' from Sylhet's Surma market area and also recovered such fake documents from Bondor bazaar of the city on November 11, 2009.
RAB-7 recovered fake certificates from Chittagong's court building on April 13, 2009, from Andorkilla on July 17 and from BRTA area of the port city on July 20.
RAB-7 sources inform Xtra that Surma market, MC College and its adjacent areas and other computer markets are considered as the centres of fake certificates in Sylhet.
But why is there such a huge demand for fake certificates? Certificate-making culprits and members of the law enforcement authorities of regular citizens inform Xtra that these are used mainly for overseas employment purposes.
'Some workers, vying for work in organisations of foreign countries, use fake certificates to get better salaries and secure jobs,' says Sazeed Hamid, an employee of a private firm.
'In some professions like salesman, marketing representatives and so on, in foreign countries, certificates with exemplary scores and grades are required, and this is why there is this growing demand,' says Enamul.
Enamul informs Xtra that due to these reasons, the expatriate ministry banned the lamination of certificates and most of the foreign educational institutions also stopped accepting laminated certificates from students, seeking higher education, after 2002-03.
As customers have varying needs, the frauds have all kinds of fake certificates in their inventory. Starting from fake Dhaka University graduate and post-graduate degrees and MBBS certificates, also available are SSC, HSC, General Certificate Examination (GCE) Ordinary level and Advanced level certificates.
Of late, there has been a slump in the sale of GCE Ordinary and Advanced level certificates as the fake ones lack the special holograms that is present on the originals. However, the frauds are over-compensating this loss through the growing demand for SSC and HSC fake certificates.
'There is a huge demand for SSC and HSC certificates while the demand for O and A level certificates are falling,' says a fake certificate maker.
Due to the burgeoning problem, only in 2003, the DU controller of examinations received about 200 letters with regard to fake certificates from 16 universities in Canada, UK, USA, New Zealand and Australia, through their diplomatic missions in Dhaka.
Fake certificates are also available for diploma doctors and nurses. Most doctors and nurses, practicing in rural areas, spend some money to collect these certificates as there is little chance of their certificates being scrutinised in these areas.
On January 27, 2009, RAB-4, led by magistrate Anwar Pasha, arrested Joly Begum, wife of fake MBBS doctor MA Malek, the principal and owner of 'Medical Diploma Training Academy'. They also arrested fake doctor Jahangir, an assistant of MA Malek and seized fake certificates, admission forms, seals and other documents from Baghmari in Gabtali.
According to RAB, Tk 75,000 was the price of a four year-long diploma course certificate, Tk 29,000 for a three year nursing programme certificate and Tk 13,000 for a one-year pathology diploma course's fake certificate.
Dhaka Education Board Chairman Prof Fahima Khatun thinks that the law enforcement authorities should take tougher actions against the illegal certificate owners. 'It is not possible with our limited capacity to locate where the fake certificate businesses are being conducted and how dishonest students are getting such certificates,' she says.
Fahima, however, informs Xtra that the board verifies any certificate as soon as such verification is requested by any local or foreign institutions, or companies. 'We urge all institutions, organisations or individuals to contact us if they have any confusion regarding certificates that they come across,' she mentions.
Fahima thinks that if photos are used on certificates, the fake certificate trend can be stopped. 'Also if we use good quality papers for the certificates it will be difficult for the fake certificate makers to reproduce them,' she says.
'While such plans are being considered, the implementation of these plans will be costly. These costs would need to be paid by the students,' she says.
Acting register of Dhaka University Syed Rezaur Rahman informs Xtra that Dhaka University uses paper which is imported from outside the country. 'The special holograms on our certificates also make it difficult to duplicate them,' he says.
'Even if some frauds produce fake certificates of the University of Dhaka, they can be verified easily,' he says.
He shares with Xtra that every year the university receives letters from foreign educational institutions to verify certificates. 'It is a rule that before appointment or admission, a university asks for verification,' he says.
'Personally I think improved paper can be used to curb this crisis,' he says.
About laws regarding the use of fake certificates, Professor Liaquat Ali Siddiqui of the Law Department of University of Dhaka explains that there are no specific laws in place to curb the use of fake certificates.
'When a person uses a fake certificate to get a job, his job application is cancelled and the problem ends there,' he says. 'However, if the fake certificate is used in the High Court, it will be a punishable offence,' he says.
'As far as I know there is no strict punishment for submitting fake certificates. I think exemplary legal punishment, like ban on fake certificate user in applying for jobs for a period of three years to five years will be more effective at solving this situation,' he proposes.
Tampered
· Nilkhet book market – the hub for dealing in forged certificates in Dhaka. Forged certificates also rampant in Chittagong and Sylhet
· Almost all kinds of certificates - HSC, SSC, Diploma degree, Dhaka University, North South University, IELTS, TOEFL, O and A Level – are forged around the country
· Certificates forged by scanning originals, modifying inputs and printing on similar papers
· Forged certificates used a lot for overseas employment
· Education board officials involved in selling original certificate papers
· The use of better quality paper and candidate photograph on certificates being considered
He hands over the paper to the shopkeeper who scans it into his computer. As soon as the shopkeeper returns the paper to the teenager, he goes away for a while leaving the shopkeeper to work on the contents of the document, on his computer.
The shopkeeper prints out the 'modified' contents on a special paper, after working at it for nearly 45 minutes. By 2:30pm, the teenager returns and while he is handed the newly printed document by the shopkeeper, the employee of another shop remarks, 'some people spend 10 years to get a certificate but people like you can get it in just an hour!'
The certificate in question is, of course, a fake, although the incident was very real as witnessed by this correspondent at Daffodil's Printers, at Shop number 174-175 of Baku Shah Market (Nilkhet book market's actual name) on May 5. When asked about fake IELTS certificates, Ziauddin, an employee at one of the book stores at Nilkhet, says, 'any type of certificate is possible, provided you supply an original.'
Some recent incidents involving fake certificates paint a grim picture of how such illegal certificates are being widely used for professional purposes. In June of last year, the Southeast Bank, a leading private bank in Bangladesh, made headlines after dismissing a dozen officers in Chittagong, who, they allege, had submitted forged certificates of their educational qualifications during appointment.
Similar headlines about Judge Faisal Mahmud Faizee of the High Court had raised public interest and brought the 'fake certificate' scam to public knowledge in 2007. However, the conclusion by the University Grants Commission (UGC) probe committee that Mahmud's LLB certificate was, in fact, fake, did little to shake up the authorities at curbing the situation.
The numerous recoveries of fake certificates and people arrested for making these by the law enforcement officials over the years further establishes the notion.
On November 21, 2009 the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Zahid Ahmed and Rezaul Karim from Sylhet's Bondor Bazar area with fake certificates and mark sheets.
ccording to RAB, the two were involved in such activities for quite a while.
The illegal trade has blossomed over the years due to the involvement of modern technology which makes the documents look like originals. 'It is really tough to differentiate a fake from the original,' says Selim Ahmed, a Dhaka University (DU) student at Nilkhet, where a number of unscrupulous shops carry on with the trade.
RAB sources, who made recoveries on numerous occasions, admit to Xtra that it was difficult for even them to identify the fake certificates. 'After making some of the recoveries, we had to send some certificates to the education board for verification,' says Enamul Haque, an assistant director of RAB-7.
He informs Xtra that after managing high quality papers and original certificates, the frauds scan the original certificates. 'Using Photoshop or similar graphics software, they modify certain fields like the name, roll number, registration number, grade information and some other information on the scanned versions of the certificates,' he says.
'After being printed, the new certificate contains the name, desired grades and scores of the person paying the money for the fake document. This is why it is tough to distinguish, as the procedure is more or less the same as a legally printed certificates handed out by school, college or university authorities,' he says.
However, sources inform Xtra that it is difficult for the frauds to make a fake certificate without any original. 'We need to modifications,' says a fake certificate maker, who chose not to divulge his name.
'Sometimes your friend or relative may borrow your certificate citing that they need it just to see your grades, although they are actually going to photocopy it and use this to make fake certificates. Without your knowledge, your roll number, registration number and other details are probably being used in some fake certificate,' he says.
When they do not have any original certificate copies, they get in touch with the education board officials, most of whom provide them with photocopies in exchange for fast cash.
'Whether it is HSC, SSC, Diploma degree, Dhaka University, North South University or any other private or public universities, we will get you the almost-exact certificate of these institutions, provided you will pay us the money,' assures Mohsin, a salesman at Khan Photostat and Computer at shop number 49 and 50 at Baku Shah Market on May 5, when asked about which certificate was available through his shop.
'As getting the paper is a big challenge, you would need to pay extra for some of the certificates for which we would need to contact board officials,' he says.
Enamul also informs Xtra that they had found the involvement of board employees with these groups during recoveries. 'We even arrested some board officials,' he says.
Due to the involvement of such officials and other variables, the price of fake certificate varies. Primarily, the fake document's price will be higher depending on how latest the issuance date on it is supposed to be.
'A 2002 HSC certificate will cost you Tk 2,000; the price will increase if the year increases,' says Mohsin. He mentions that for making such certificates a special and expensive paper called 'Shapla' is required.
'For this paper, you need to pay extra money. You can get GCE Ordinary and Advanced Level certificates between Tk 3,000 to 4,000,' he says.
Although this correspondent had assured the shopkeeper of getting in touch later, Mohsin had jotted down his number. He eventually called this correspondent on the evening of May 5 from the mobile number 01726869169 asking whether he would buy a fake certificate or not.
While fake certificate producing shops are sprouting up in different parts of the country, there are particular areas where these are found aplenty. The Nilkhet computer market is one such centre, most of whose computer shops have computers, high quality printers, scanners and other required equipment for making fake certificates.
Sources inform Xtra that almost all the shops on the first line of block C at Baku Shah market are into the 'illegal certificate' business.
'If you ask the salespersons or shopkeepers here blatantly for certificates, they will refuse to help you and even deny that they are into such trade,' says a tea-stall owner at the area. 'However, they will be ready to bargain if you can get the message across rather discreetly that you are interested in buying such documents,' he adds.
However, this notion is not unknown to the law enforcement forces either, who have made numerous recoveries from the spot over the years. As such, the fake certificate businessmen had to change their strategy.
'As the customers come looking for the certificates here, the deal is completed in this area, only after verifying the authenticity of the customers,' says a salesman of a shop at Nilkhet. 'However, most certificates are made at other locations and are handed over the documents at a ''later-decided'' location,' he adds.
These destinations can be at any part of the city. Some businesses have also opened their shops in residential areas where they operate under the guise of computer and photocopy shops.
RAB has also recovered fake certificates from different residential areas in the city. On July 19, 2009, RAB-10 recovered a significant number of fake certificates, computers, printers and other machineries from a two-storey building of Dhaka's Alambagh under Kodomtoli thana and arrested Abdul Jalil in connection with the illegal documents.
According to RAB-10, Jalil was involved in this business for a long time. RAB also recovered similar items and machineries from Gabtoli, Shyamoli and Mirpur residential areas.
The trade is also going on outside the city in Sylhet, Chittagong and other parts of the country. On February 8, 2009 RAB-9 recovered certificates and arrested a 'fraud' from Sylhet's Surma market area and also recovered such fake documents from Bondor bazaar of the city on November 11, 2009.
RAB-7 recovered fake certificates from Chittagong's court building on April 13, 2009, from Andorkilla on July 17 and from BRTA area of the port city on July 20.
RAB-7 sources inform Xtra that Surma market, MC College and its adjacent areas and other computer markets are considered as the centres of fake certificates in Sylhet.
But why is there such a huge demand for fake certificates? Certificate-making culprits and members of the law enforcement authorities of regular citizens inform Xtra that these are used mainly for overseas employment purposes.
'Some workers, vying for work in organisations of foreign countries, use fake certificates to get better salaries and secure jobs,' says Sazeed Hamid, an employee of a private firm.
'In some professions like salesman, marketing representatives and so on, in foreign countries, certificates with exemplary scores and grades are required, and this is why there is this growing demand,' says Enamul.
Enamul informs Xtra that due to these reasons, the expatriate ministry banned the lamination of certificates and most of the foreign educational institutions also stopped accepting laminated certificates from students, seeking higher education, after 2002-03.
As customers have varying needs, the frauds have all kinds of fake certificates in their inventory. Starting from fake Dhaka University graduate and post-graduate degrees and MBBS certificates, also available are SSC, HSC, General Certificate Examination (GCE) Ordinary level and Advanced level certificates.
Of late, there has been a slump in the sale of GCE Ordinary and Advanced level certificates as the fake ones lack the special holograms that is present on the originals. However, the frauds are over-compensating this loss through the growing demand for SSC and HSC fake certificates.
'There is a huge demand for SSC and HSC certificates while the demand for O and A level certificates are falling,' says a fake certificate maker.
Due to the burgeoning problem, only in 2003, the DU controller of examinations received about 200 letters with regard to fake certificates from 16 universities in Canada, UK, USA, New Zealand and Australia, through their diplomatic missions in Dhaka.
Fake certificates are also available for diploma doctors and nurses. Most doctors and nurses, practicing in rural areas, spend some money to collect these certificates as there is little chance of their certificates being scrutinised in these areas.
On January 27, 2009, RAB-4, led by magistrate Anwar Pasha, arrested Joly Begum, wife of fake MBBS doctor MA Malek, the principal and owner of 'Medical Diploma Training Academy'. They also arrested fake doctor Jahangir, an assistant of MA Malek and seized fake certificates, admission forms, seals and other documents from Baghmari in Gabtali.
According to RAB, Tk 75,000 was the price of a four year-long diploma course certificate, Tk 29,000 for a three year nursing programme certificate and Tk 13,000 for a one-year pathology diploma course's fake certificate.
Dhaka Education Board Chairman Prof Fahima Khatun thinks that the law enforcement authorities should take tougher actions against the illegal certificate owners. 'It is not possible with our limited capacity to locate where the fake certificate businesses are being conducted and how dishonest students are getting such certificates,' she says.
Fahima, however, informs Xtra that the board verifies any certificate as soon as such verification is requested by any local or foreign institutions, or companies. 'We urge all institutions, organisations or individuals to contact us if they have any confusion regarding certificates that they come across,' she mentions.
Fahima thinks that if photos are used on certificates, the fake certificate trend can be stopped. 'Also if we use good quality papers for the certificates it will be difficult for the fake certificate makers to reproduce them,' she says.
'While such plans are being considered, the implementation of these plans will be costly. These costs would need to be paid by the students,' she says.
Acting register of Dhaka University Syed Rezaur Rahman informs Xtra that Dhaka University uses paper which is imported from outside the country. 'The special holograms on our certificates also make it difficult to duplicate them,' he says.
'Even if some frauds produce fake certificates of the University of Dhaka, they can be verified easily,' he says.
He shares with Xtra that every year the university receives letters from foreign educational institutions to verify certificates. 'It is a rule that before appointment or admission, a university asks for verification,' he says.
'Personally I think improved paper can be used to curb this crisis,' he says.
About laws regarding the use of fake certificates, Professor Liaquat Ali Siddiqui of the Law Department of University of Dhaka explains that there are no specific laws in place to curb the use of fake certificates.
'When a person uses a fake certificate to get a job, his job application is cancelled and the problem ends there,' he says. 'However, if the fake certificate is used in the High Court, it will be a punishable offence,' he says.
'As far as I know there is no strict punishment for submitting fake certificates. I think exemplary legal punishment, like ban on fake certificate user in applying for jobs for a period of three years to five years will be more effective at solving this situation,' he proposes.
Tampered
· Nilkhet book market – the hub for dealing in forged certificates in Dhaka. Forged certificates also rampant in Chittagong and Sylhet
· Almost all kinds of certificates - HSC, SSC, Diploma degree, Dhaka University, North South University, IELTS, TOEFL, O and A Level – are forged around the country
· Certificates forged by scanning originals, modifying inputs and printing on similar papers
· Forged certificates used a lot for overseas employment
· Education board officials involved in selling original certificate papers
· The use of better quality paper and candidate photograph on certificates being considered
__._,_.___
