Medical College Exam: Four more doctors arrested over question leak

Four more doctors have been arrested in Khulna over the leak of question papers of the centralised medical college admission test, said police's Criminal Investigation Department yesterday.

The arrestees are Lewis Sourav Sarkar, 30, Mustahin Hasan Lamia, 25, Sharmistha Mondal, 26, and Nazia Mehzabin Tisha, 24.

Speaking to this newspaper, CID Additional Superintendent of Police (media) Azad Rahman said the four were arrested from different parts of Khulna on Saturday and Sunday.

They were brought to the capital and produced before a Dhaka court yesterday that sent them to jail, he added.

Earlier in the day, their family members at a press briefing in Khulna said that the four doctors were picked up on August 18 by plainclothes men, who identified themselves as CID officers.

They said they visited the CID headquarters in Dhaka, but the officials didn't provide any information about their whereabouts or why they were detained, reports UNB.

On August 13, CID told a press briefing that it arrested 12 members of a "question paper leaking racket", from Dhaka, Tangail, Kishoreganj, and Barishal.

Of them, seven are physicians, including Yunusuzzaman Khan Tarim, 40, the owner of Three Doctors Coaching Centre in Khulna, who was arrested Friday.

The CID in a press release yesterday said it found transactions of Tk 25 crore in the bank accounts of Dr Tarim and his wife.

Dr Tarim engaged in leaking medical college entrance test question papers and arranged illegal admission of numerous students to government medical colleges, it added.

Dr Lewis is an alumnus of Khulna Medical College and a teacher at Tarim's coaching centre. Currently, he works as a medical officer at an NGO.

Dr Lamia stood 11th on the national merit list for the medical college admission test during the 2015-16 session. She was a student at Tarim's coaching centre.

However, despite her impressive result in the entrance exam, Lamia initially failed in all subjects of the four final professional examinations. She later passed the exams after several attempts.

There were allegations that Lamia's husband, Sheikh Osman Gani, paid Tk 15 lakh to Dr Tarim to secure Lamia's admission, the CID claimed.

Additionally, the admissions of Dr Sharmistha and Dr Nazia to Khulna Medical College raised suspicions, as they allegedly acquired leaked question papers from Dr Tarim, the CID also claimed.

So far, the number of arrests in the case now stands at 28, with 14 of them giving confessional statements before a Dhaka court.

The CID has been investigating the case since July 2020, when they first busted the medical question leaking racket.

The racket leaked question papers at least 10 times between 2001 and 2017, earning crores of taka, CID chief Mohammad Ali Mia said at a press briefing at the CID Headquarters last week.

The people who have been arrested helped hundreds of students to enrol in medical colleges through illegal means, he added.

The question papers of medical and dental college admission tests were leaked repeatedly from the printing press under the Directorate General of Medical Education (DGME), according to the CID.

One Jasim Uddin Bhuiyan Munnu was the mastermind of this racket.

His cousin Abdus Salam, a machine operator at the DGME press, used to leak questions for many years, with help from influential DGME officials, while Jasim used to spread the leaked questions all over the country, using a strong network, said CID officials.

Situational depression or clinical depression

Situational and clinical depression are different. Situational depression often occurs after life-altering events, but clinical depression has a range of causes and is a longer-term condition.

Situational and clinical depression are similar, but they are not the same. Recognizing the differences between these types of depression is the first step toward getting help.

Medically, situational depression is an “adjustment disorder with a depressed mood.” It often resolves with time, and talking about the problem can ease recovery.

Clinical depression, known medically as a “major depressive disorder,” can develop if the individual does not recover. This is a more severe mental health condition.

Situational depression is a short-term form of depression resulting from a traumatic event or change in a person’s life.

An adjustment disorder with a depressed mood is another name for this emotional state.

Triggers can include:

Situational depression stems from a difficulty in coming to terms with dramatic life changes. Recovery is possible once an individual can come to terms with a new situation. This may require support and treatment.

For instance, following the death of a parent, it may take a while before a person can accept that their parent is no longer alive. Until a person reaches acceptance, they may feel unable to move on with their life. Some people may need to attend a grief support group or speak with a therapist.

Clinical depression is also known as major depression or a major depressive disorder. It is a more chronic condition that is severe enough to interfere with daily function.

The Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) classifies clinical depression as a mood disorder.

While a specific cause for clinical depression is unknown, disturbances in the levels of certain chemicals — known as neurotransmitters — may be to blame.

However, other factors are likely to play a role, including:

Depression can also alter a person’s thought processes and bodily functions.

Some key differences between situational and clinical depression will determine the type of treatment a person needs and the severity of their condition.

No type of depression is more “real” than another. Both can present significant challenges and threats to their well-being.

However, knowing which type of depression is at the root of their persistent, negative mood can support their recovery.

Symptoms of situational depression can include:

On the other hand, clinical depression is usually more severe than situational depression.

It can cause physical and psychological symptoms, including:

Clinical depression may also be associated with symptoms like pain, headaches, and digestive issues, which often occur without a physical cause and do not improve, even with treatment.

Some people with clinical depression can also experience delusions, hallucinations, and other psychotic disturbances. These do not generally occur in people with situational depression.

In most cases, situational depression is only short-term. Mild cases of situational depression often resolve without active treatment. However, some strategies can help a person reduce the effects of situational depression.

A few helpful lifestyle changes include:

People who find it difficult to cope with overwhelming stressors might wish to consult with a psychotherapist. If the issue revolves around family dynamics or difficulties, family therapy is another option.

Such therapy may not need to last as long as it might in cases of clinical depression. Clinical depression is also likely to require a combination treatment of psychotherapy or psychological counseling and medication.

A primary care physician can prescribe medication or make a referral to a mental health professional if they feel that the individual requires this level of care.

People with severe situational depression might receive a temporary prescription for medications, including antidepressants or antianxiety drugs, which a doctor may taper off as soon as the person is feeling better.

On the other hand, clinical depression can last for a long time. A person with clinical depression will not necessarily need to take medication indefinitely, but they may require taking it longer as part of a long-term, in-depth treatment plan.

In severe clinical and situational depression cases — especially if a person tries to self-harm — a person may need to stay in the hospital or attend an outpatient treatment program until their symptoms improve.

A doctor may diagnose a person with situational depression if symptoms occur in response to a specific traumatic event or stressor.

The symptoms will also usually cause significant impairments in the person’s social life or ability to function normally and do not meet the criteria for another mental disorder.

Unlike clinical depression, mild, situational depression is usually only short-term and often improves with time, even without treatment.

In fact, according to the DSM-5 and International Classification of Diseases 11th revision (ICD-11), symptoms of situational depression usually emerge within 1–3 months of the stressor and resolve within 6 months, unless the stressor persists for a longer amount of time.

On the other hand, to get a formal diagnosis of clinical depression, a person must meet the criteria outlined in the DSM-5.

A person must show five or more symptoms from a specific list of criteria, over a 2-week period, for most of nearly every day.

The symptoms should be severe enough that they substantially reduce the person’s ability to perform regular duties and routines. At least one of the symptoms must be a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure.

Here are a few common questions about situational and clinical depression.

When the depressed mood is beginning to have a serious negative impact on important areas of functioning, such as work, school, or other aspects of day-to-day life, a person has cause for concern.

Many people experiencing an adjustment disorder may feel sad but generally will notice some improvements a few days after the significant life event. This is generally not the case with people experiencing a major depressive disorder.

In many cases, situational depression improves over time and usually doesn’t last longer than 6 months. If symptoms don’t resolve within 6 months, a doctor may reassess symptoms to determine whether clinical depression or another mental disorder may be present.

In addition to situational depression and clinical depression (or major depressive disorder), there are several other types of depression, each of which may differ based on the cause, symptoms, and treatment.

Some examples include postpartum and perinatal depression, persistent depressive disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and psychotic depression.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), about 21 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode in 2020.

Situational depression occurs after life-altering events, but clinical or major depression has a range of causes and is a longer-term condition. With a healthful lifestyle and the right treatment plan, both forms of depression can be manageable.

Support groups and help or depression hotlines, such as The Samaritans, can offer a listening ear and useful advice and information. You can call them at any time at (212) 673-3000.