Shyampur college principal denies certificate forgery
Mohammad Kajal Mahmud, principal of Shyampur Degree College in Rangpur, has denied allegations of academic certificate forgery, claiming that a section of teachers and an “unscrupulous group” in the area were spreading false and misleading information to tarnish his reputation.
He made the allegations at a press conference held at Shyampur Press Club at 11am on Thursday.
Kajal Mahmud said he obtained his MA degree in English from the University of Dhaka in 1996.
He served as a lecturer in the English department of Sundarganj Women’s College in Gaibandha from 1999 to 2014, vice-principal of Kaunia Women’s College in Rangpur from 2014 to 2023, and has been serving as principal of Shyampur Degree College since 2023.
He claimed that after joining the college, he introduced online banking for managing its income and expenditure to ensure financial transparency. According to him, the move affected the interests of a group that had previously controlled various sources of the college’s income, including admission and examination fees, shop rents and lease proceeds from a mango orchard and pond.
He alleged that he was forced to sign a resignation letter at gunpoint during the July 2024 uprising as part of a conspiracy against him.
Later, in 2025, he applied to the Ministry of Education for reinstatement. Following an investigation, the ministry found his application valid and instructed him to rejoin his post and have his salary and allowances restored through the Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) system, he said.
Kajal Mahmud said he resumed his duties as principal on December 25, 2025, after an 18-month absence.
He alleged that following his return, the same group again began a campaign against him and submitted complaints to the district administration and education authorities accusing him of certificate forgery.
“The relevant authorities investigated the allegations and found them to be false,” he claimed.
He also said three ministry audits had been conducted during his 26-year career and that no irregularities had been detected.
Regarding his academic credentials, Kajal Mahmud said all his certificates had been scrutinised during the selection processes for his appointments as vice-principal of Kaunia Women’s College and principal of Shyampur Degree College.
He said Professor Dr Mohammad Shaukat Ali, then a teacher in the Mathematics Department of the University of Dhaka and now vice-chancellor of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, was present on the selection board during his appointment as vice-principal.
Similarly, Professor Dr Mohammad Sabbir Sattar, then vice-chancellor of Rajshahi University, attended the selection board as the National University representative during his appointment as principal, he said.
Kajal Mahmud also alleged that an individual named Afsan Mahmud had been claiming that the certificates belonged to him, describing the allegation as stemming from a personal grudge.
Referring to a television report, he said a minor discrepancy existed in his father’s name between his SSC and HSC certificates and that the matter required correction.
However, he alleged that the report had incorrectly suggested that he had changed his own name and his father’s name.
He urged the authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly and establish the facts.
