Who is Noman? Ex RAB officer involved in PSC exam paper leak
Md Noman Siddique, a key suspect in the PSC exam paper leak case and the second accused in the CID’s investigation, has a surprising background.
Noman was once a member of the UN Peacekeeping Mission and served in the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
After getting arrested for his involvement in the PSC question paper leak, his name quickly spread in the media, but who actually is Noman Siddique?
To uncover more our correspondent visited his family home in Lakshmipur, where locals and family members shared insights into his life.
Noman Siddique hails from Char Algi village, situated on the banks of the Meghna River in Ramgati, Lakshmipur.
Noman joined the army in 1998 and later served in the RAB. In 2017, he voluntarily retired from the army, and shortly after, his wife also left her job in the education sector. The couple then allegedly started a garment business.
Noman Siddique is the youngest son of the late Abu Taher Mia. His elder brother Omar Faruk Hossain, who runs a pharmacy at the village market, mentioned that they have another brother, Salauddin, who is currently serving in the army.
Noman, after retiring from the army and RAB, had a falling out with his family.
Faruk revealed that Noman married Safia Sultana Sorna, the daughter of a Power Division official from Ishwardi. After the marriage, Noman distanced himself from his family, allegedly under his wife’s influence. She discouraged him from maintaining family ties and, according to Faruk, even encouraged his involvement in illicit activities.
In 2022, Noman was arrested and jailed for three months for similar crimes.
Faruk said, “Noman passed SSC from Char Mehar Azizia High School in 1996 and joined the army as a soldier in 1998. He served as a UN Peacekeeper in Liberia for 15 months before joining RAB. In 2017, he retired voluntarily from the army.”
Faruk added that Noman never disclosed his activities to the family. They only heard about his garment business and other ventures but never saw any proof.
Faruk emphasised, “We had no idea about Noman’s wrongdoings because he had no contact with us. He came home only once during last Ramadan when our father passed away.”
An elderly villager, Shahe Alam, noted, “When Noman came home, he barely spoke to anyone. He was always reserved. We heard he got involved in illegal activities after retiring and was jailed in 2022.”
Another villager, Shamsul Haque, said that Noman did not build any assets in the village apart from his father’s one-acre land.
Shahjahan, a relative, claimed, “We heard Noman has four flats in Dhaka and is very wealthy, but he has nothing in the village and maintains no relations with relatives.”
Noman Siddique was one of the 17 people arrested by the police nationwide for their involvement in the PSC question paper leak. Noman reportedly obtained the question papers from a driver named Abed Ali and sold them for a hefty profit.
