Selim Chowdhury Hira:
There have been allegations of corruption and irregularities against Rasraj Das, the acting principal of Laksham Pilot Girls High School, for a long time. There have been allegations of financial scams, including misbehavior with parents.
To this end, Laksam Upazila Executive Officer Md. Kausar Hamid has formed a three-member audit committee to ensure transparency and accountability in the work of Laksam Pilot Girls High School.
The audit team formed on February 13 has been ordered to submit the audit report within 10 working days.
It is learnt that Acting Principal Rasraj Das is not assisting the formed committee with information.
It is learnt that the convener of the committee, Laksam Upazila Statistics Officer Khandaker Masum Billah, has informed the Upazila Executive Officer in writing that the committee will not investigate the irregularities and corruption as this has hampered the investigation.
The other two members of the investigation committee are Dilip Kumar Bhowmik, assistant mathematics teacher at Laksham Pilot Girls’ High School, and Md. Kamal Hossain, assistant business teacher.
Sources said that Rasraj Das joined as an assistant principal on July 1, 2006 and took over as acting principal on July 16, 2016.
By creating a grouping among the teachers and becoming a trusted confidant of the managing committee, Rasraj Babu started various irregularities and corruption.
Sources claim that the image of Laksham Pilot Girls High School has reached rock bottom due to Rasraj Babu’s mismanagement, irregularities and corruption.
According to sources, during admission in January 2017, Rasraj Das received 6 lakh 75 thousand taka at the rate of 500 taka from 1350 students for base, diary, ID card, calendar and syllabus without receipts. Which was not shown in the cash.
This is how Rasraj Babu’s activities continued from 17 to 2024.
Whether the money for issuing certificates of appreciation, temporary certificates of S, S, C examinees and release certificates/T, C and various certificates of other classes has been deposited in the school cash, whether the daily income has been deposited in the bank, whether the digital fee has been received from 1350 students at the rate of 400 taka per year and 5 lakh 40 thousand taka from 17 to 24 years without receipts.
There is widespread criticism against Rasraj Das over issues such as whether this amount was shown in the cash book or not, and the fact that two teachers were used to do the work of office assistants despite having two office assistants.
There is widespread discussion and criticism about where the money comes from, as head teachers and office assistants are secretly paid honorariums by conducting secret accounts.
Sources claim that the coaching fee money has not been distributed properly. According to sources, at least 250 or 260 students in all departments have participated in coaching classes every year. There is no account of the coaching fee money from 2017 to 2022. Although it is known that around 6 lakh taka has been collected for the coaching fee in 2023,
Around 260,000 taka has been distributed among teachers and employees. There is also criticism about where the rest of the money has gone.
There are many irregularities in the school’s spending. It is reported that a pocket committee (audit committee) was formed with teachers loyal to Rasraj Babu to cover up these irregularities and pass vouchers for the irregularities.
There are also comments that commissions were taken and vouchers of high value were given for the purchase of computers, photocopy machines, CCTV cameras, tiles for office rooms, and fittings for schools.
There are also allegations against Rasraj Babu of not depositing the teachers’ provident fund money into their bank accounts every month.
From 2017 to 2023, the commission of question papers, badges, diaries, and ID cards was enjoyed by the acting headmaster and his trusted confidant Shahjalal.
Fake vouchers worth a lot of money have been made in the name of the ablution facility and the girls’ bathroom on the west-south side of the school.
Rasraj Babu has embezzled a lot of money by making fake vouchers of a lot of money in connection with the school pond case. It is learned that before August 5, the acting principal withdrew a check for Tk 50,000 signed by the then president Tabarak Ullah Kayes to pay the lawyer for the pond case and did not give it to the lawyer.
In this regard, the acting principal of Laksham Pilot Girls High School, Rasraj Das, said, “The allegations against me are not correct. I have asked for time from the investigation committee, but the investigation committee has not given me time.”
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