NBR asks for information on Transcom Group chief Latifur Rahman’s bank accounts, assets

The National Board of Revenue detectives are seeking details of accounts Transcom Group Chairman Latifur Rahman and his wife Shahnaz Rahman hold with banks.

Sheikh Abdullahbdnews24.com
Published : 19 May 2015, 03:59 PM
Updated : 19 May 2015, 07:18 PM

The group owns Bangla daily Prothom Alo and English broadsheet The Daily Star.

The NBR’s Central Intelligence Cell recently wrote to scheduled banks asking them to send information for the past seven years on the ‘Business for Peace’ award-winning businessman and his spouse.

The CIC gathers information on bank accounts and assets, and freezes accounts to make the tax-dodgers pay. It acts on specific charges that a taxpayer has evaded tax payment.

Rahman told bdnews24.com on Tuesday night he was in the dark about the development. “I have just heard about it from you. But the NBR or CIC are absolutely free to gather information on me.”

“No,” he replied when asked if he believed there was a mismatch in the income tax statement that he gave to the revenue board.

The CIC ordered banks to send details of financial transactions using names of Rahman and his wife or their family members from July 1, 2008.

If the banks fail to provide information within seven days, they will be fined Tk 25,000 once and Tk 500 daily, it warned in a letter.

Apart from stakes in the media, the Transcom Group has forayed into beverage, pharmaceuticals, electronics, baby food and consumer goods, among others. 

Rahman owns soft drinks Seven Up, Pepsi, Mirinda, Aquafina, SKF Bangladesh Limited, KFC, and Pizza Hut.

The BRAC governing body member is also chairman of Nestlé Bangladesh Limited, Holcim Cement (Bangladesh) Limited and National Housing Finance and Investment Limited.