Police arrested the owner of Just Thought Education Consultant as he was trying to leave the country early today (14 July), on charges that he collected crores from students by promising to arrange overseas higher education opportunities.
Acting on a tip-off, officers from Bhatara Police Station arrested Matiur Rahman in Uttara shortly before he was due to board a flight out of the country, scheduled for 2:30am, said Officer-in-Charge Mazharul Islam.
The OC said police will provide further details at a press briefing at noon. Police said victims began gathering outside the police station from the morning after news of the arrest spread. The arrest comes after students and their parents staged a protest in the capital on Sunday (12 July), demanding legal action against Just Thought Education Consultant and the return of money they said had been fraudulently collected under the promise of arranging overseas higher education.
The demonstrators said the consultancy had allegedly scammed nearly 300 students. They carried banners and placards with various slogans including “Justice is our right,” “We demand justice for shattered dreams” and “End this fraud.”
During the protest, one student broke down while recounting the family’s experience, saying they had mortgaged their only piece of land and sold gold jewellery to raise nearly Tk20 lakh for the consultancy. The payment was meant to secure an opportunity to study abroad.
Instead, the consultancy allegedly closed its office and went into hiding, leaving the student and family facing severe financial hardship and uncertainty. The protesters alleged that the group had used the same scheme to collect crores of taka from hundreds of students. They said they had filed cases with the police, but the main suspects had remained out of reach.
Students affected by the alleged fraud said the scam had disrupted their education and left many families struggling with debt. Some now face the prospect of losing their homes and livelihoods.
Parents at the demonstration said they had invested their hard-earned savings in the consultancy in the hope of securing overseas higher education opportunities for their children.
They urged the authorities to arrest everyone involved and bring them to justice. The victims also called for a fair and impartial investigation, demanding the return of their money and urging the government to strengthen oversight to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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