143 Hired at Rajshahi Election Office without exams

A total of 143 outsourced workers were recruited to the Regional Election Office in Rajshahi without any recruitment examination. They were selected through the manpower supply company KSF Traders Limited. Several newly recruited workers told Asia Post that they had to pay Tk70,000 to Tk80,000 each to KSF Traders in order to secure the jobs.

An investigation by Asia Post found that most of those recruited had previously been working at election offices on a daily-wage or temporary basis. They were later brought under new outsourcing contracts at the same workplace, allegedly in exchange for money.

No open tender was invited for the recruitment. Instead, the contract was awarded to KSF Traders Limited under the Direct Procurement Method (DPM) of the Bangladesh Public Procurement Rules.

Under Bangladesh’s public procurement system, DPM is an exceptional procedure generally used only in special circumstances, emergencies, or when specific legal conditions are met. However, officials could not explain what emergency justified using DPM to recruit 143 outsourced workers.

No recruitment notice was published, depriving the general public of the opportunity to apply.

Workforce Increased from 117 to 143

During the contract period with Bushra Security Services (Pvt.) Limited, the office initially recruited 117 workers—including five drivers, 69 cleaners, and 43 security guards. Later, another 26 security guards were added, bringing the total number of outsourced workers to 143.

According to official documents, the contracts of a large number of temporary workers at the Rajshahi Election Office were due to expire on June 30. Earlier, on June 14, the Election Commission Secretariat issued a directive stating that once the existing contracts expired, manpower services would have to be procured afresh in accordance with the Outsourcing Policy 2025, the Public Procurement Act 2006, and the Public Procurement Rules 2025.

Following that directive, the contract was awarded to KSF Traders Limited through the Direct Procurement Method.

Recruitment Scam Worth Over Tk10 Million

Victims alleged that they were promised continued employment and assurances that they would not be removed in the future in exchange for payments of Tk70,000 to Tk80,000 each.

Based on an average payment of Tk75,000 per person, the total amount allegedly collected from 143 workers stands at approximately Tk10.725 million (Tk1 crore 7 lakh 25 thousand).

Several individuals who were ultimately selected for recruitment, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Asia Post about the alleged bribery involving KSF Traders.

One recruit said, "We were told our jobs would remain secure and that we would not be dismissed in the future. Money was taken from us with that assurance. When we informed the Regional Election Officer of Rajshahi, he instead told us to speak with the company representatives. Eventually, we had no choice but to pay Tk70,000 to Tk80,000 to get the job."

Another worker, also requesting anonymity, said, "The entire system was controlled by a syndicate. Although election officials did not take the money directly, we believe they had an understanding with the company. Those who did not pay were, in many cases, denied employment."

Job Seekers Block Road

On July 6, the 143 shortlisted job seekers were asked to collect their appointment letters from the KSF Traders Limited office in Shyamoli, Dhaka. Upon arrival, they were allegedly asked to pay Tk80,000 to Tk100,000 in exchange for receiving their appointment letters.

Enraged by the demand, the job seekers staged a road blockade in front of the office, disrupting traffic. Additional police were later deployed to bring the situation under control.

The protesters told Asia Post that KSF Traders representatives held several rounds of meetings with them before ultimately issuing appointment letters in exchange for payments ranging from Tk70,000 to Tk80,000.

What the Officials Say

Anisur Rahman, the Regional Election Officer of Rajshahi, claimed he was unaware of any financial transactions related to the recruitment.

Asked about the recruitment process, he said, "The Direct Procurement Method is an exceptional procedure under the government's procurement system. It is generally used in special situations, emergencies, or when legal conditions permit. We followed that procedure. KSF Traders Limited is already providing manpower services in our three regions. Considering all factors, we awarded them the contract."

Md. Shamim Hossain, Managing Director of KSF Traders Limited, said, "Our previous contract expired on June 30. If we had initiated a new e-tender, it would have taken two to three months to complete the recruitment process. That would have disrupted the operations of the election offices and left the workers without salaries for several months. Therefore, to ensure uninterrupted services and protect the workers' interests, we followed the direct procurement procedure with approval from the higher authorities and retained the existing workers. We had no role beyond supplying the manpower requested by the Election Commission."

Rejecting the bribery allegations, he added, "We did not prepare the list of recruits. On June 30, Regional Election Officer Anisur Rahman provided us with a list, and the contracts were executed accordingly. Since no new people were recruited and only the existing workers were retained, there was neither any reason nor any opportunity to collect money. However, if any individual accepted money without the company's knowledge, the company cannot be held responsible."

Regarding the road blockade outside the company's Shyamoli office, Shamim Hossain said, "It was not possible to issue all appointment letters in a single day. There were complications involving a few candidates against whom specific allegations had been raised. In addition, some influential local figures and political leaders from Rajshahi were exerting pressure to include 20 to 30 people of their choice on the list. Since we had no authority to recruit anyone outside the list approved by the Election Commission, those groups created the disturbance."

Call for Investigation

Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, founding secretary of Shujan (Citizens for Good Governance), believes the lack of open competition in the recruitment process, the use of the Direct Procurement Method, and the bribery allegations warrant a thorough investigation.

He told Asia Post, "There is no way to view this positively. Since allegations of corruption have been raised, an investigation is necessary. The Election Commission is an independent constitutional institution. Therefore, if any irregularities have occurred within this institution, those responsible must be brought to justice and made examples under the law."