Simeen Rahman, the eldest daughter of industrialist Latifur Rahman, has been accused of seizing control of Transcom Group—the parent company of The Daily Prothom Alo and The Daily Star—using forged documents and falsified signatures to exclude her siblings from their rightful inheritance.
Her elder brother, Arshad Waliur Rahman, reportedly died under suspicious circumstances just 10 days after consulting a lawyer to contest Simeen’s alleged actions. Meanwhile, her younger sister, Shahzreh Huq, is pursuing a legal battle in court to reclaim her share of the family assets.
Last February, Shahzreh Huq filed a case against Simeen Rahman at Gulshan police station on charges of forgery, cheating, and embezzlement. Allegations have surfaced claiming that Simeen has exerted influence to obstruct the investigation and trial processes.
As the Awami League's tenure came to an end, Simeen reportedly secured court orders through advocate Toufika Karim, identified as the girlfriend of former law minister Anisul Huq. Toufika allegedly orchestrated these actions behind the scenes by involving two lawyers from her chambers, Shaheen and Baharul, to obtain favorable court orders at various levels.
Additionally, Simeen is accused of leveraging media outlets under her influence, including Prothom Alo and the Daily Star, to sway the investigation and prosecution of the fraud, cheating, and property embezzlement cases.
Several top executives of Transcom were arrested after a case was filed by Shahzreh Huq. However, Simeen Rahman, who was abroad at the time, obtained a High Court order permitting her to return to the country without hindrance. The court also directed Simeen and two other accused to surrender within 72 hours of their arrival. Allegations suggest that the order was influenced by the intervention of a former law minister and his associate, Toufika Karim. Upon Simeen’s return, bail was reportedly arranged through Toufika Karim’s legal chamber.
Case documents reveal that Simeen Rahman forged her siblings' signatures to claim the majority of shares in Transcom Group and fabricated a false family deed of settlement. She also attempted to acquire 2 bighas and 2 kathas of prime land in Gulshan by creating a fraudulent deed for 35 kathas. Allegedly, she forged her father’s and younger sister’s signatures on the Heba document submitted to the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK). The process was halted when her younger sister discovered the forgery and filed a complaint.
According to legal experts, the fraudulent activities began on July 1, 2020, after the death of Transcom Group’s founder, Latifur Rahman. By early 2023, his son, Arshad Waliur Rahman, and younger daughter, Shahzreh Huq, had taken control of the company, though evidence of Simeen’s alleged misconduct has since emerged.
Recent investigations by the Dhaka District Commissioner’s Office and the Postal Department uncovered clear proof of forgery. Share transfer documents were found to be backdated to 2020, despite carrying stamps issued in 2023.
Shahzreh Huq's lawyer, Aminul Haque, informed Bangladesh Pratidin that documents seized by investigators from the Office of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC) show that Shahnaz Rahman, wife of Latifur Rahman, transferred most of her shares to Simeen Rahman through her lawyer, Nazrul Islam, on September 2, 2020. These transfer documents were subsequently submitted to the RJSC. The court has asked the Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka to verify the authenticity of two stamps involved in the transaction.
The report reveals that the license of the vendor supplying the stamps was revoked on December 13, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the vendor did not collect or submit stamps to the registrar. A report from the Postal Department regarding the stamp release date is still pending.
Additionally, a report from Subhra Sutradhar, Assistant Controller (Stamps) at the Postal Department, dated December 2, confirmed that the two stamps were received from The Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Limited in May 2023. Investigators expressed surprise at the use of stamps issued two years after the transfer documents were dated.
Regarding the ongoing probe into a fake family settlement document, PBI Inspector Md. Tariqul Islam told Bangladesh Pratidin that the investigation is progressing and should be concluded soon.
Sources claim that Simeen Rahman, the eldest daughter of the late Latifur Rahman, has not provided original copies of two fraudulent documents to the investigating officer in two ongoing cases. To obtain the originals, the officer requested the court to revoke the bail and remand six accused, including Simeen. However, the Metropolitan Magistrate Court rejected the request on May 29. Simeen’s lawyers, Advocates Shaheen and Baharul, are closely linked to Toufika Karim, the girlfriend of former Law Minister Anisul Huq. Following this, Shahzreh Huq filed a revision application in the Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court against the dismissal, with a hearing set for January 16.
Shahzreh Huq’s lawyer argued, "The fraud can only be uncovered by examining the original copies of the fraudulent documents. Simeen Rahman is withholding them to obstruct the investigation."
In response, Simeen's current lawyer, Siddique Ullah Mia, told Bangladesh Pratidin, "The case alleges that the stamp used in the 2020 share transfer deed is from 2023, according to a postal department report. The CID’s forensic examination request was denied by the court, rendering the charges against Simeen baseless."
Latifur Rahman, a prominent entrepreneur, founded Transcom nearly four decades ago with initial capital from his father, the esteemed businessman Khan Bahadur Mujibur Rahman. Under Latifur's leadership, the company experienced steady growth. Among his three children—Simeen Rahman, the eldest, Arshad Waliur Rahman, and the youngest Shahzreh Huq—Simeen is reportedly accused of using questionable tactics to seize control of her father’s estate, allegedly deceiving her siblings in the process.
Simeen, who serves as the managing director of Media Star (the company behind Prothom Alo) and a key director at Media World (which manages Daily Star), is said to have leveraged the influence of these newspapers to manipulate public perception and deflect attention from her alleged fraudulent actions.
Beyond the media outlets, the Transcom group includes 16 other businesses, such as Bangladesh Lamps, Transcom Electronics, SKF Pharmaceuticals, and PepsiCo, all of which helped solidify Latifur Rahman’s legacy. Following his death in 2020, Simeen assumed full control of the group’s assets. Company officials estimate the group’s total valuation at approximately 30,000 crore taka, with SKF Pharmaceuticals alone valued at over 15,000 crore taka.
Translated by Jisan Al Jubair
Bd-pratidin English
