Magistrate's official seal-signature reportedly forged to prepare affidavit, 2 placed on two-day remand

The remanded accused were identified as lawyer Farhad Uddin and computer operator Sumon Dey.

Sub-Inspector Md Azhar of Kotwali Police Station, the investigating officer in the case, confirmed the development, stating that a seven-day remand had been requested, but the court granted two days.

The case was filed on 18 March at Kotwali Police Station by Abul Kalam Azad, a Nazir (court officer) of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.

It accuses Rojina Akter and several unidentified individuals of forging official seals and signatures belonging to Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sarkar Hasan Shahriar.

The forged affidavit was related to inheritance matters and had already been submitted to the Chattogram City Corporation for official use.

The issue came to light on 13 March when the court officer noticed discrepancies in an affidavit shared from a lawyer's phone. The document, bearing serial number 1380/25 and listing Rojina Akter as the declarant, did not match court records.

The official register showed the number belonged to a different person named Yamin Rahman. Upon review, Magistrate Shahriar confirmed that neither the seal nor the signature on the document was his.

According to the case details, five fake seals and three forged signatures were used to create multiple fraudulent affidavits. Police arrested Rojina Akter first on 22 March.

Based on her confession, lawyer Farhad Uddin was detained the following day. He allegedly charged Tk 5,000 from each individual seeking fake affidavits.

During questioning, Farhad Uddin told police that after collecting necessary documents, he approached Sumon Dey, a computer shop owner, to print the forged affidavit on a Tk300 non-judicial stamp paper. Sumon was later arrested as well for his role in preparing the documents.

Investigations into the extent of the forgery ring are ongoing, and police say further arrests may follow.