Special correspondent :-
Indian citizen, a voter of the country's West Bengal is illegally doing job as headmaster in a secondary school in Bangladesh's Khulna Division.
Sources said, the headmaster of a secondary school in Paikgacha Upazila of Khulna is an Indian citizen, is engaging in irregularities, and profiting from recruitment corruption.
It was founded that although the headmaster and several members of his family permanently reside in the Indian state of West Bengal, he continues to work in Bangladesh and enjoy all the associated employment benefits.
The accused, Dipak Chandra Sarkar, is the headmaster of Kharia Nabarun Secondary School in Paikgacha. Allegations claim that his name appears on the electoral roll of West Bengal, India, while he is also registered as a voter in Bangladesh.
According to the complaint, Dipak Chandra Sarkar resides at the western section of 1 Manmohan Dey Road, Village No. 2 Barshul, under Shaktigarh Police Station in Purba Bardhaman (East Bardhaman), West Bengal, India. At the same time, he is listed as a voter in Kharia Dhemshakhali Village under Laskar Union in Paikgacha Upazila, Bangladesh. His wife, Aparna Sarkar; daughter, Joyshree Sarkar; elder brother, Dulal Chandra Sarkar, and his wife, Sushila Sarkar; younger brother, Tapas Sarkar, and his wife, Barnali Sarkar, are all reportedly permanent residents and registered voters in India.
Local residents allege that while keeping his family in India, Dipak has been running the school in Bangladesh and embezzling funds through administrative irregularities and recruitment corruption. In 2024, allegations surfaced that substantial sums of money were exchanged during the recruitment of a cleaner, a security guard, and an ayah (female support staff). Following public protests and the submission of a memorandum by local residents, the recruitment process reportedly stalled and has yet to be finalized. Locals claim that approximately BDT 3 million (30 lakh) changed hands during the recruitment process.
Additionally, allegations of financial irregularities have been raised regarding the expenditure of a BDT 500,000 incentive grant allocated to the school during the 2022–23 fiscal year. According to an investigation report, BDT 225,000 was distributed among students, including students with disabilities, while the remaining funds were allegedly embezzled through fake bills and vouchers.
Local resident Prakash Chandra Sarkar stated that multiple complaints have been filed with various government agencies concerning the headmaster's alleged dual citizenship and administrative misconduct. However, no effective action has yet been taken.
Documents reviewed indicate that following the complaints, Md. Iman Uddin, Upazila Resource Officer, submitted an investigation report on September 26, 2024, under the direction of the Paikgacha Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO). Subsequently, a three-member investigation committee led by Shahjahan Ali, Upazila Secondary Education Officer, submitted another report on January 30, 2025. Later, on September 15, 2025, S.M. Chayedur Rahman, the District Education Officer, conducted an additional investigation.
Most recently, in a report submitted to the Deputy Commissioner on February 1 of this year, the UNO stated that voter records indicate Dipak Chandra Sarkar's name also appears on the electoral roll in West Bengal, India. Under the MPO (Monthly Pay Order) Policy, teachers employed under the scheme must be citizens of Bangladesh. Therefore, if he is a foreign national, his appointment to an MPO-listed position would be legally questionable and contrary to regulations.
Following the UNO's report, Kaniz Fatema Liza, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and ICT) of Khulna, forwarded the matter to the Director General of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) on February 26, describing the allegations as highly serious and sensitive and recommending appropriate action. However, despite the passage of four months, no final decision has reportedly been made.
Rejecting all allegations, Headmaster Dipak Chandra Sarkar denied holding dual citizenship, saying:
"I am a citizen of Bangladesh. I am not a voter in India. The allegations of embezzling school grants or engaging in recruitment corruption are also completely false."
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