Nazmul Ahasan
Nazmul Ahasan is Executive Editor at Netra News, a public-interest journalism platform based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Before returning to Bangladesh in December 2025, he spent two years covering the US economy for Bloomberg News in Washington, DC. Earlier, in 2023, he was an editor at Radio Free Asia’s BenarNews, also in Washington, where he helped shape coverage across South and Southeast Asia.
His work and contributions have received major journalism honours, including a Sigma Award for Data Journalism and a Certificate of Excellence from the Global Shining Light Awards. He has also been a finalist for a Loeb Award, among other distinctions.
He is a graduate of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. His work has appeared in Foreign Policy, The Economist, The Telegraph, Haaretz, Columbia Journalism Review and the San Francisco Chronicle. He has also been interviewed as a commentator by The Guardian, Al Jazeera and other international outlets. Before moving to the United States in 2021, he worked at The Daily Star and Netra News in Dhaka.
Selected work
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Experience
Executive Editor · Netra News
Help lead news coverage and editorial strategy at an independent, public-interest newsroom in Bangladesh.
Oversee daily reporting, investigations, and long-form projects, with a focus on accountability, governance, and human rights. Manage editors and reporters, set editorial priorities, and ensure rigorous fact-checking and legal review. Guide data-driven and investigative work, including cross-border collaborations and multimedia storytelling.
US Economy Reporter · Bloomberg News
Reported on the US economy with an emphasis on data-driven analysis of labour markets, public finance, and demographic change.
Produced enterprise stories linking economic trends to political and policy outcomes. Used geospatial, statistical, and large administrative datasets to surface regulatory and market dynamics.
English-Language Editor · BenarNews / Radio Free Asia
Edited and shaped coverage of Bangladesh's 2024 election, political violence, and democratic backsliding.
Worked with correspondents across South and Southeast Asia to ensure accuracy, clarity, and policy relevance. Handled fast-moving breaking news alongside deeper analytical and enterprise pieces.
Intern · Investigative Reporting Workshop
Co-authored an award-winning investigative series on environmental governance, published with Grist and Public Health Watch.
Conducted political reporting and data analysis for The Washington Post's election coverage.
Researcher · Investigative Reporting Program
Helped build a police use-of-force database for the California Reporting Project, a collaboration among major California newsrooms.
Contributed to the Mercury News' investigation into the disproportionate impact of San Jose police use-of-force incidents, and reported local politics for Richmond Confidential.
Reader / Teaching Assistant · UC Berkeley
Supported undergraduate courses, including South and Southeast Asian history.
Investigative Reporter & Deputy Editor · Netra News
Investigated corruption, governance failures, and human rights abuses in Bangladesh.
Led the Body Count project on extrajudicial killings and co-reported Secret Prisoners of Dhaka. Oversaw editorial workflows and upheld investigative and ethical standards.
Freelance Correspondent · Devex
Reported on the Rohingya crisis and Bangladesh's COVID-19 response, analysing their impact on domestic politics and international policy.
Editorial Assistant · The Daily Star
Wrote agenda-setting op-eds and editorials shaping elite discourse on politics and governance at Bangladesh's largest English-language daily.
Reported longform features on marginalised communities, state policy, and political dynamics.