Last year, an incident in Rajshahi became quite a topic of discussion nationwide. In Bagha Upazila of Rajshahi, when a man named Biplob was seen becoming rich overnight, it naturally aroused curiosity among the locals, and many asked him about the source of this vast wealth.
In reply, Biplob said, "I have found Aladdin's lamp; money comes out as soon as I rub it." The funny thing is that a few days later, the locals saw in the media that their Biplob, who had found Aladdin's lamp, had been caught in the police net!
It was learned that he had been involved in forging certificates of various universities and educational institutions for a long time by joining a চক্র (a group or syndicate). And by this 'certificate trade,' Biplob, who was once a lower-middle-class man, became the owner of immense wealth.
After this much-discussed incident, the hidden truth began to come out. More than five hundred people from Biplob's own upazila were working in various institutions with his fake certificates.
The conscious section of the country expressed concern about this issue at that time. Because most of those who got jobs with Biplob's fake certificates had managed to get jobs in various educational institutions, including schools and colleges.
That is, some fake education certificate holders are performing the great responsibility of building the nation—what a terrible thing!
We often hear about such incidents of education certificate fraud. However, this time the incident is a bit different! Because this time, the allegation of selling certificates has been raised against an institution that does not actually exist.
Yesterday, on Wednesday, it was learned from a report in the Daily Ittefaq that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has found a private university called East Asian University. Although this university does not actually exist, they are selling certificates openly by opening a website.
They even upload various information on the website, claiming to be an approved university by the 'university authorities.' And many simple students and parents have been and are being financially victimized by falling into the trap of these flashy information or advertisements.
However, after this incident became known, the UGC issued a notice warning prospective students, parents, job seekers, and employers not to be lured by such illegal activities and false information of the university.
The organization has clearly stated that there is no approved university under the mentioned name. The university is conducting illegal activities by presenting false information on the website.
Notably, according to the website running under the name of the university, currently, 2,000 students are studying in 40 undergraduate programs under the supervision of 150 teachers and staff.
Not only that, but they have also claimed that 25,000 graduates have graduated from this university so far.
Such pictures of the education certificate trade are likely to be found further if investigated, and the concerned authorities should investigate this matter adequately. Such news of forgery is just the tip of the iceberg; a large part is hidden underneath.
The fake doctors we see being arrested at various times mainly buy certificates from these syndicates and sit in important places like medical practice! There are many examples of identifying such fake certificate holders from almost every institution, including medical and educational institutions.
In this age of information technology, as the type of fraud has changed, its extent has also increased. With the passage of time, the number of fraudsters and the innovative techniques of fraud are increasing.
Therefore, everyone must be vigilant and alert about all these matters. Especially in sectors like education and health, arrangements must be made so that there is no opportunity for certificate forgery in any way.
Students and parents should also inquire in detail and get admitted to that educational institution—otherwise, both valuable money and time will be wasted. Above all, they must realize that 'a certificate without knowledge is like a gun without bullets in your hand.'