Faridul Mostafa Khan

Faridul Mostafa Khan
OccupationsJournalist, editor, publisher
Organization(s)Cox’s Bazar Bani; Janatar Bani
Known forReporting on alleged police misconduct in Teknaf
Notable workInvestigative reports on drug-related extortion in Teknaf

Faridul Mostafa Khan is a Bangladeshi journalist, editor, and publisher. He is the owner and editor of the widely circulated daily Cox’s Bazar Bani and the online news portal Janatar Bani.

He came to national attention in 2019 after publishing reports alleging corruption and misconduct by former Teknaf police officer Pradeep Kumar Das. Following his reporting, several criminal cases were filed against him, and he was detained for nearly eleven months. International press freedom organisations raised concerns regarding his detention.[1][2]

Career

Faridul founded Cox’s Bazar Bani and later launched the online portal Janatar Bani. In 2019, he published investigative reports concerning alleged extortion and intimidation by police officers in Teknaf. He has also written opinion pieces and has participated in various social and humanitarian activities, according to local media reports.[3]

Arrest and detention

On 19 September 2019, Faridul was arrested in Dhaka after cases were filed against him by Pradeep Kumar Das. According to Reporters Without Borders, he was transferred to Teknaf and allegedly subjected to torture while in custody.[4]

He remained detained without trial for nearly eleven months and was granted bail on 27 August 2020 by a Cox's Bazar court.[5]

Police later filed additional cases against him under drug and weapons laws, which rights groups criticised as retaliation for his reporting.[6]

After his release, Faridul filed a case against Pradeep Kumar Das and other police officers, alleging torture and fabrication of charges.[7]

He later testified in proceedings related to the Murder of Major Sinha Mohammed Rashed Khan.[8][9]

International reaction

Reporters Without Borders called for the charges against him to be dropped and expressed concern over press freedom in Bangladesh.[10]

The United States Department of State referenced his case in its 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in the context of press freedom and allegations of arbitrary detention.[11]

Political activity

In 2023, Faridul announced his intention to seek nomination from the Awami League for the 12th National Parliament Election from the Cox's Bazar-4 constituency.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bangladeshi journalist tortured by police, held for nearly a year". Reporters Without Borders. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  2. ^ "Journalist Faridul in jail for 11 months for reporting on OC Pradeep's misdeeds: family". New Age. 16 August 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  3. ^ Nafiu, Rummana Foisal (7 September 2020). "RSF urges judiciary to dismiss fake charges against Cox's Bazar journo". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  4. ^ "Bangladeshi journalist tortured by police, held for nearly a year". Reporters Without Borders. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  5. ^ "Journalist Faridul freed on bail". Dhaka Tribune. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  6. ^ "OC Pradeep sued again". The Daily Observer. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  7. ^ "OC Pradeep sued again". The Daily Observer. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  8. ^ "Under OC Pradeep: Teknaf shook with 'crossfire' horror". The Daily Star. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  9. ^ "A policeman who killed people for money under cover of 'drug war'". bdnews24.com. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  10. ^ "Bangladeshi journalist tortured by police, held for nearly a year". Reporters Without Borders. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  11. ^ "2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Bangladesh". U.S. Department of State. 30 March 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  12. ^ "Journalist Faridul Mostafa of Cox's Bazar wants to be MP candidate". The Daily Country Today. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.