The Daily Janakantha

''Daily Janakantha'' (; ''Dainik Janakaná¹­ha'' "Daily People's Voice") is a Bengali daily newspaper published from Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is owned by Janakantha Shilpa Paribar (GJSP).

History

This newspaper was first published on 21 February 1993. Mohammad Atikullah Khan Masud was the editor of the newspaper till his death. Janakantha created Janakantha Gunijan Sammanana and Pratibha Sammanana awards.

In 1999, Bangladesh Army personnel defused a landmine left at the newspaper office by suspected Islamist militants. Mohammad Atikullah Khan Masud, editor of ''Janakantha'', was arrested by joint forces on 7 March 2007 from Janakantha Bhaban. He was charged with using fraud to get designs approved for two buildings in Hosseini Dalan Road from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha. Tanzeena Ismail, Judge of Special Court-6, sentenced him to seven years imprisonment. In October 2007 a fraud case was withdrawn against him after he settled the matter out of court with the accuser. The accuser had alleged Masud had taken a deposit for a flat which he had not provided or returned the deposit.

A former reporter of Janakantha, Aghore Mondal, threaten legal action after the newspaper accused him of using its name to secure accredations for the 2007 ICC World Twenty20.

In January 2009, the editor of ''Janakantha'', Mohammad Atikullah Khan Masud secured bail in four corruption cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission. Justice Md Shamsul Huda and Justice Abu Bakar Siddiquee of the High Court Division acquitted him in a corruption case.

An auto-rickshaw carrying journalists of the Janakantha was shot at killing the driver and a nearby rickshaw-puller in April 2015.

On 29 July 2015, a contempt of court verdict was issued against Janakantha, editor Swadesh Roy, and publisher Atiqullah Khan Masud over a report on Salauddin Quader Chowdhury. The Appellate Division adjourned the hearing following an appeal by the defendants. The two were found guilty of contempt of court and fined 10 thousand BDT which was to be donated to a charity.

Former president of Dhaka Metropolitan Bar Association Arfan Uddin Khan filed a defamation case over a report on the newspaper which alleged a judge was writing the verdict against former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia after retirement. Arrest warrants were issued against Atiqullah Khan Masud, Toab Khan, and Swadesh Roy.

Executive Editor Swadesh Roy was one of the founders of the Editors Guild, Bangladesh in 2018.

On 12 April 2021, ten journalists who had been terminated from the newspaper where attacked as they were protesting outside the newspaper office. The injured journalists were treated at the Dhaka Community Hospital. Atikullah Khan Masud, editor of Janakantha, died at the age of 71. Salman F Rahman support loans from state owned Bank for the holding company of the newspaper, Globe Janakantha Shilpa Paribar.

After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina led Awami League government, the Habiganj correspondent of the newspaper was sued on charges of attacking students protesting against Hasina.

On 4 May 2025, a confrontation occurred at the ''Daily Janakantha'' office in Dhaka, reportedly triggered by a protest from journalists demanding overdue wages. Tensions escalated when a group of outsiders allegedly broke into the office, assaulted several journalists and staff, and disrupted the demonstration. The protest had been ongoing for several days, and five journalists involved had recently been dismissed without clear resolution of their dues. According to some ''Janakantha'' employees, the attackers were linked to the National Citizen Party (NCP). However, Zainal Abedin Shishir—''Janakantha'''s Planning Advisor and an NCP leader—claimed the clash resulted from internal disputes and prior opposition by certain journalists to political protests, stating that police were called to defuse the situation. The NCP has since sought a formal explanation from Shishir regarding his role in the incident.

Ideology

The newspaper has a secular to liberal political leaning and is published in both print and online versions.

See also

*List of newspapers in Bangladesh
*Bengali-language newspapers

References

External links

Official WebsiteeJanakantha

{{Newspapers of Bangladesh

Newspapers established in 1993
1993 establishments in Bangladesh
Bengali-language newspapers published in Bangladesh
Daily newspapers published in Bangladesh
Newspapers published in Dhaka