খুব জানতে ইচ্ছে করে...তুমি কি সেই আগের মতনই আছো নাকি অনেকখানি বদলে গেছো...

Canadian government recently has relaxed the immigration rules for student visa especially to create opportunity for students in developing countries. In February, a group of meritorious post-graduate students of Jahangirnagar University went to a consultancy firm named Professional Skill Development Consultant for processing academic papers for MS program in the University of Victoria, Canada. Students were from different faculties of Jahangirnagar University but they have been given their admission letter from the consultancy firm in the same subject on Environmental Science. Students who had no science background in their all academic years, they have also got their conditional admission letter on Environmental Science. Some of the students were confused about their admission process by the consultancy firm; they suspected that there might be some misdeed regarding the admission related papers made by the consultancy firm. They were also in doubt that the admission letters might be faked and even the consultancy firm might not have sent the student’s academic papers to the University for Admission. After raising this question, the consultancy firm became angry and told that they were doing their business in a legal way. Four months later, some files were submitted by the consultancy firm to the Visa facilitated Service Centre (VFS) for assessment. After assessment nobody could get the visa. Reason was unknown. The consultancy firm did not give any answer. Students decided to contact the university authority directly and collected university phone no, fax no and email address and sent email to the Dean of Admission for Environmental Science faculty attaching all academic certificates and admission letters, enrollment papers etc. for admission confirmation in the university. Dean of admission responded shortly and confirmed that students did not have admission in the university and no record has yet been found about their studentship. The consultancy firm hung a colorful sign board on their office wall that they are the legal agent of University of Victoria. Dean of Admission ensured that they have no agent named as Professional Skill Development Consultant in Bangladesh. Dean became sorry and suggested to handover the fraud agent to the nearest police station. Students went to the consultancy firm with all the mails from Dean of Admission and placed to the Chief of the consultancy firm indicating the fraudulent activities. He kept quite at that time and later signed a bond to return the whole amount paid by the students as soon as possible to avoid any untoward situation in his office premises. Each student paid handsome amount for processing their papers for admission. Thirty two students have been victimized by the consultancy firm who paid total 50 (fifty) lakh taka for admission purpose. But the consultancy firm wrote on their counterfoil of receipt book in total about 17 (seventy) lakh taka only. This firm was doing fraud business with the students. The consultancy firm chief was threatened to the students for a police case, he was shouting and expressed that he was a diplomat of Morocco during the past Care Taker Government. He has close link with the policy makers of this government. So students have little to do against him. Students felt hopeless, they were also helpless to see the arrogancy of the firm chief. All victims had made a team. They went alltogether to the firm and tried to force the chief for their payment. The firm called police and tried to misbehave with the students. But unity had made a favorable situation for the students; a representative of nearest police station was trying to resolve the issue and proposed a proposal that they will pay the amount, which has been mentioned in the counterfoil of the money receipt book. Students did not agree and they chanted slogan against such a negotiation proposal. After observing the uncomfortable situation the firm’s chief instantly signed an agreement with the students on 250 taka government stamp to pay the full amount of the collected amount within a dateline. The agreement indicated that if students did not get the payment in due time, students would have the right to take any legal action against the consultancy firm. Students were hopeful and returned to their home with a decision to wait till the dateline mentioned in the agreement. Dateline passed, students again met the CEO, instantly he handed over his land property documents to the students as security money for increasing additional 10 days of dateline. He committed that he would pay in full within these additional 10 days. Later he called students individually for receiving their payment. He paid some amount to certain students. CEO wanted to pay to the students according to counterfoil of their money receipt book. But that was unfair. A student who gave 83,000 taka to the firm and obtained their money receipt of 83,000 taka but it was mentioned in the firm’s counterfoil only 13,500 taka. Similar was the case with all the payments made to the consultancy firm. CEO proposed to pay back money according to the amount mentioned in the counter-foil. Students did not agree to the proposal; then the consultancy firm issued cheque to resolve the problem. Students submitted the cheque to the bank. All cheques bounced. Later, victims contacted the CEO to inform their fate of their bounced cheque but CEO did not reply. He suggested the students to wait when he would manage money he would pay to the students. There is no dateline. Students were very frustrated. They do not understand what to do? The consultancy firm has filled a case against the students without mentioning name for pressuring them for paying the money. They do not know what will be their fate? How much time will be needed to resolve this problem? Government should take stern action against this fraud consultancy firm and help in getting back the money. Because this firm may do harm to other students. These sort of fraudulent firms are deceiving the students and collecting huge amounts from ill-fated students.