Using forged signatures of her own siblings and fabricated documents, Samin Rahman, the current CEO and eldest daughter of Latifur Rahman—the founder of Transcom Group, which owns 'Prothom Alo' and 'The Daily Star'—allegedly seized control of assets worth approximately 3 trillion taka. Following the discovery of Samin’s fraud and deception, her elder brother Arshad Waliur Rahman mysteriously passed away just 10 days after meeting a lawyer to pursue legal action. Meanwhile, her younger sister, Shayereh Haque, is still seeking justice in court to claim her rightful share.  

In February, Shayereh Haque filed three separate cases against Samin Rahman at the Gulshan Police Station, accusing her of forgery, fraud, and embezzlement. It is alleged that Samin has used her influence to obstruct investigations and court proceedings. Toward the end of the ousted Awami League government’s tenure, Samin reportedly used her connections with former Law Minister Anisul Huq’s associate, Advocate Taufika Karim, to manipulate court orders. Working behind the scenes, Taufika Karim’s two close associates—lawyers Shaheen and Baharul—ensured favorable court decisions for Samin at various stages. There are further allegations that Samin Rahman leveraged 'Prothom Alo' and 'The Daily Star', both under her control, to manipulate investigations and the legal process related to the fraud, forgery, and embezzlement cases.  

Following Shayereh Haque’s legal action, several senior officials of Transcom were arrested. However, Samin Rahman, who was abroad at the time, managed to secure an order from the High Court allowing her to return to the country without impediment. The court subsequently ordered her and two other accused to surrender within 72 hours of their return. This order, allegedly influenced by the former Law Minister and his associate, enabled Samin to return safely to Bangladesh. Upon her return, Samin was granted bail through Advocate Taufika Karim’s law firm.  

According to case documents, Samin Rahman forged her siblings' signatures and created a fake family deed of settlement to transfer most of the Transcom Group's shares into her name. Furthermore, she attempted to take control of a 35-katha plot of land in Gulshan—originally 2 bighas and 2 kathas under Latifur Rahman’s name—using a fraudulent 'heba' deed. It was later revealed that the deed submitted to RAJUK included forged signatures of her father and sister Shayereh Haque. When Shayereh raised an objection, the fraudulent deed's process was halted.  

Legal experts note that the fraud began on July 1, 2020, following the death of Transcom’s founder Latifur Rahman. By early 2023, both Arshad Waliur Rahman and Shayereh Haque had uncovered the full extent of the forgery. Recently, two separate reports from the Dhaka District Commissioner’s office and the postal department confirmed Samin’s fraudulent activities regarding share transfer deeds. The reports revealed that the stamps used in the 2020 share transfer documents were printed in 2023, exposing the forgery.  

PBI Inspector Md. Tarikul Islam stated that the investigation is ongoing and is expected to be completed soon.  

Sources also claim that Samin Rahman is withholding the original copies of the forged documents. On May 28, the investigating officer requested the court to cancel Samin’s bail and place her in remand to obtain the documents. However, on May 29, the Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court rejected the request, with advocates Shaheen and Baharul representing Samin—both known associates of Advocate Taufika Karim. Shayereh Haque has since filed a revision appeal, which is scheduled for hearing on January 16.  

Advocate Aminul Haque, Shayereh’s lawyer, stated, “If the original forged documents are examined, all evidence of the fraud will come to light. That is why Samin Rahman is refusing to submit them to the court or investigators.”  

On the other hand, Samin Rahman’s lawyer, Advocate Siddiq Ullah Miah, dismissed the allegations as baseless. “The complaint states that share transfer deeds from 2020 used stamps printed in 2023. However, a request for forensic testing of these documents has already been rejected by the court,” he said.  

Transcom Group, founded by the late Latifur Rahman nearly four decades ago, includes 16 companies such as 'Prothom Alo', 'The Daily Star', Bangladesh Lamps, Transcom Electronics, SKF Pharmaceuticals, and PepsiCo Bangladesh. After Latifur Rahman’s death in 2020, Samin Rahman took control of the group, which is currently valued at approximately 3 trillion taka, with SKF Pharmaceuticals alone worth over 150 billion taka.