Transcom Group chairman Latifur Rahman passes away

Latifur Rahman, chairman and CEO of Transcom Group, passed away at his village home on Wednesday afternoon. He was 75.

He had been suffering from old age complications and breathed his last around 1pm, said Jahidul Islam, caretaker of his residence at Chauddagram, UNB reports.

He is survived by wife, one son and two daughters.

He was founding director of Mediaworld, the owning company of The Daily Star, and Chairman of Mediastar, the owning company of ProthomAlo, both leading English and Bangla newspapers of the country.

After taking his body to Dhaka, his namaz-e-janaza will be held at Gulshan Azad Mosque after Esha prayer today.

Later he will be laid to rest at Banani graveyard.

Latifur’s another daughter Shazneen Rahman was killed in 1998 at her residence in Gulshan in the capital.

He had been suffering from various illness for the two years and he used to live at his village home most of the time where he died today.

Latifur died on the day of the death anniversary of his grandson Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain. Faraaz was killed on July 1, 2016 in a militant attack on the Holy Artisan Restaurant in Dhaka. He was a student of a university in the United States.

Transcom Group deals with beverages, electrical and electronics products, pharmaceuticals, fast food, snacks and breakfast cereals, print media, FM Radio and tea plantations.

Its companies include Transcom Beverages, Transcom Electronics, Eskayef Pharmaceuticals, Transcom Foods, Transcom Distribution Company, Transcom Consumer Product and Mediastar.

Latifur Rahman was the chairman of the National Housing Finance and Investments.

Rahman was a member of the executive board of ICC-Paris, vice president of ICC-Bangladesh and member of Brac’s governing body. He was a member of the Bangladesh Better Business Forum and Advisory Committee on World Trade Organization.

Rahman was also president of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka for seven terms and of Bangladesh Employers’ Federation.

He was also chairman of the Bangladesh government’s Trade Body Reforms Committee and a member of Bangladesh Bank’s executive board.

Rahman is an honouree of “Oslo Business for Peace Award 2012” and was awarded Business Executive of the Year 2001 by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh.

He has also been honoured with the “SAARC Outstanding Leader” award and Lifetime Achievement Award which was presented by the UK Bangladesh Catalysts of Commerce and Industry.

Latifur Rahman was born on August 28, 1945 in Jalpaiguri, India.

Meanwhile, In separate condolence messages, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad, State Minister for Information Md Murad Hassan and State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.

Besides, A k Azad, president of Noab (Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh) expressed his shock at his death.

BNP mourns

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday expressed deep shock at the death of Transcom Group chairman Latifur Rahman.

In a condolence message, he said Latifur made outstanding contributions to job creation in the country by setting up factories.

The BNP leader said the Transcom Group chairman earned a reputation from all quarters for his honesty in and dedication to his work as a businessman and entrepreneur.

“He was given various awards in recognition of his work,” Fakhrul said.

Stating that the Transcom Group chairman was the founder of the country’s two leading newspapers--Prothom Alo and Daily Star-- the BNP leader said Latifur was respectful for objective news coverage.

“People will remember with gratitude his contributions to the country. He left the world prematurely,” Fakhrul observed.

The BNP leader prayed for salvation of Latifur’s departed soul and conveyed his sympathy to the bereaved family members.