According to JCD sources and The Daily Star investigations, most of the selections for the jobs were made after the JCD high-ups, ruling alliance lawmakers, and leaders had sent lists to the concerned authorities, pressing for confirmation of their candidates' appointments.

At least 300 leaders and workers of ruling coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami's student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) have also been recruited along with the JCD men into different government sectors, and public universities.

The Daily Star investigation reveals that at least 290 leaders and activists of the JCD, and relatives of BNP lawmakers have been recruited recently as Upazila Election Officers (UEO) through the Public Service Commission (PSC). Out of 328 UEO posts, at least 150 were filled with the candidates from a list prepared by Chhatra Dal top brass, sources said.

At least nine JCD activists were appointed senior assistant secretaries in the Election Commission (EC) secretariat last year. Of them, seven were from JCD Dhaka University (DU) unit, one each from Eden College and Bogra district unit JCD. They are Raton, Faisal Ahmed, Nabab Ali, Ruhul Amin, Rafiqul Islam Rafiq, Akbar Ali of DU, Kaniz of Eden College, and Delwar Hossain of Bogra district unit JCD.

Some 16 JCD leaders were made district election officers through the PSC in 2003 and they were picked from a list that the JCD high-ups had sent to the PSC. JCD leaders Abul Kalam Azad, Rashed, Belayet, Nazmul, Khorshed, Alauddin, Dulal, Kabir, Farid, Gaffer, Younus, Momen and others are currently working as election officers in different districts. Of them, most came from DU, Rajshahi University (RU), Chittagong University (CU), and Bogra district JCD units.

At least 500 JCD leaders and workers, 100 ICS men, and 178 others have recently been appointed sub-inspectors(SI)of police. Many of them had to pay money ranging from Tk 2 lakh to 3 lakh to a section of BNP leaders for the jobs, the JCD sources said.

Of the appointees, at least 15 were leaders and activists of DU JCD, seven of RU, five of CU, and the rest were involved with different thana and district chapters of the student organisation.

Murad Khan, Zahid Hasan, Sohel, Aminul Islam, Milton, Kamal, Jahangir, Akmal are among the student leaders-turned-SIs.

A couple of top Chhatra Dal leaders had prepared a list and requested the home ministry officials to recruit the SIs from there, sources said adding that 10 JCD workers on the list were excluded from being appointed as their family members were found to be involved with Awami League (AL).

The government has recruited about 40 JCD leaders and workers from different universities and Bogra district to National Security Intelligence (NSI) in three phases in last two years. The recruits are Shamsul Islam Shaon, Aktheruzzaman Liton, Atiar Rahman, Bulbul, Mahabubul Alam Pahari, Rafique, Sohel, Royal, Towfique, Aziz, Kaiyum, Ranojit, Mamun, Mafizul Islam Patwari, Shahajahan Miah, Zafar, ASM Sayem, Masum, Liton, Khadija Akhter Happy, Mostafizur Rahman Mamun, Shahriar, Mamun, and others.

A total of 20 JCD leaders and workers from DU unit have secured appointment as section officer at the National University (NU). They include, among others, Akram, former general secretary of Suryasen Hall unit JCD, Nuruzzaman, former vice-president of DU unit JCD, Delwar Hossain, former leader of Jahurul Haque Hall unit JCD.

Sources said former NU vice-chancellor Prof Aftab Ahmed had recruited as many as 500 JCD and ICS activists from different universities, relatives of BNP and Jamaat leaders and of some DU teachers to NU, though the university could hardly accommodate such a large number of appointees.

At least 10 JCD and ICS men have been recruited to the PSC as assistant secretaries, the sources said adding that one of the PSC members had even been asked to recruit only those with allegiance to the ruling parties' student fronts.

Besides, a number of JCD leaders and activists were appointed Thana education officer through PSC a couple of years ago. Former assistant finance secretary of central JCD AFM Zahid Iqbal was among those, JCD sources said.

The JCD top brass are now lobbying hard for their favoured candidates to be appointed to the posts of police sergeant. They are also trying to have their men recruited to the Social Welfare Directorate, which will add to it some 30 new staff, JCD sources said. At least 10 DU JCD leaders are on the race to become police sergeant, and assistant director of the passport office, also to be recruited soon.

The JCD sent at least 30 names to the PSC to recruit their activists through the 26th special BCS examination. JCD sources said at least 15 JCD leaders and workers got appointment in the examination from the list, among them Lutfor Rahman is the central unit assistant secretary of information and research.

Sources said the PSC also recruited at least 100 JCD men and 50 ICS men from different units of the country. At least 15 JCD leaders and activists of DU have also got appointment through the examination.

On the other hand, BNP, JCD and Juba Dal leaders and lawmakers allegedly convinced the deputy commissioners and district education officers to recruit BNP loyalists as headmasters of different primary schools.

Sources said at least 50 BNP men have been recruited recently as headmasters of different primary schools.

OTHERSA large number of JCD and Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha leaders have been appointed to various jobs at the Bangla Academy, Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB), Bangladesh Television, different directorates of ministries and other government institutions.

Walilur Rahman Khan Sopan, Mofidul Islam Patwari and two others have been given jobs at the Bangla Academy while Khorshed Alam Akash, Mamun and some others at the PIB. Ruling BNP's front wing leader Mustafiz Sohel has been appointed assistant director at the labour and manpower ministry while Mujib, Sayeed, Nishat, Zillur and some others as section officers at DU.

JCD and ICS activists have been appointed BCS officers too through the PSC as part of the government's political appointments, added the JCD sources.

HOW A LIST IS MADE AND SENT
Sources in the JCD said lists are made before every examination. DU JCD Office Secretary Abul Kashem receives from leaders and activists primary documents including those certifying one as a member of the organisation. Compiling those papers, he makes a list and gives it to the DU unit JCD President Hasan Mamun. Mamun in turn passes it to the central unit President Azizul Baree Helal and General Secretary Shafiul Bari Babu. Helal and Babu then pass the list to the officials of 'Hawa Bhaban' who finally hand it over to the PSC authorities.

The leaders do not take money from fellow activists, but they sometimes take handsome amount from the candidates other than JCD activists, added the sources.

The job seeking JCD activists from Patuakhali, Barisal, Khulna, Jessore, Bogra, Feni, Noakhali, Comilla, Chandpur, Tangail, Mymensingh and Netrokona are given preference as most of the top JCD leaders hail from those districts.

JCD STATEMENT
Chhatra Dal DU unit General Secretary Saiful Islam Firoz denied taking any money from anyone. He said he even does not know that lists are made for appointments. The JCD leaders and activists are meritorious enough to land themselves any jobs, he observed.

Describing JCD as an organisation of meritorious students, Shafiul Bari Babu said those who are being appointed are obviously of high calibre.

He said all the appointments were made on merit. "We did not send any list to anyone. Chhatra Dal workers get jobs only by dint of their merit," Babu told The Daily Star.

A PSC member on condition of anonymity told The Daily Star that they did not receive any list of ruling party men. All appointments have been finalised following the rules, he said, denying the allegation against the PSC of recruiting ruling alliance men to different sectors.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) MA Aziz earlier told the journalists regarding the controversial appointment of the UEOs and other election officers that all the selections were made following the rules and regulations.

He however added that the PSC had given the appointments and the Election Commission (EC) has nothing to do with those.