Nazmul Ahasan
Portrait of Nazmul Ahasan

Nazmul Ahasan

Data, investigative and political journalist in Dhaka

I’m a Bangladeshi data and investigative journalist, political analyst and the Executive Editor at Netra News, an independent newsroom in Bangladesh. I report and edit investigations, data stories, political journalism and coverage of the country’s political economy. Before returning to Dhaka in 2025, I covered the US economy for Bloomberg News and edited regional coverage at Radio Free Asia’s BenarNews in Washington.

About

I graduated from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. My reporting and commentary have appeared in the Financial Times, Foreign Policy, The Economist, The Telegraph, Haaretz, Columbia Journalism Review, The Washington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle.

My work has received a Sigma Award for Data Journalism and a Certificate of Excellence from the Global Shining Light Awards, and has been a finalist for a Loeb Award. I have also been interviewed by The Guardian, Al Jazeera and other international outlets. Before moving to the United States in 2021, I worked at The Daily Star and Netra News in Dhaka.

Selected reporting

2026 The mosaic of a landslideNetra News · Aug 2026 Data · Interactive · Analysis 2026 Bangladesh’s future depends on the military distancing itself from politicsFinancial Times · Aug 2026 Opinion · Analysis 2026 How a series of failures became a deadly measles outbreakNetra News · May 2026 Investigative · Reporting 2026 Election engineered? Independently collected tally sheets suggest otherwiseNetra News · Apr 2026 Data · Investigative 2026 Bangladesh’s 2026 election results — down to every unionNetra News · Mar 2026 Data · Interactive 2026 Shares in governor co-founded firm tied to S. Alam surge around appointmentNetra News · Mar 2026 Investigative · Data 2026 Why the BNP won — and what could yet undermine itNetra News · Feb 2026 Analysis 2026 Bangladesh's ‘interest' in joining Gaza security force comes with conditionsHaaretz · Jan 2026 Reporting · Analysis 2025 A Gunmaker's Lobbying Shows How Trump's Tariffs Changed the GameBloomberg · Oct 2025 Data 2025 States, Cities Face Funding Collapse Threat With Trump CutsBloomberg · May 2025 Data 2025 Economy in Counties Trump Won Points to Governing ChallengesBloomberg · Jan 2025 Data 2024 Hong Kong Finance Jobs Rebound to Record After Talent PushBloomberg · Nov 2024 Data 2024 Couche-Tard's 7-Eleven Overlaps to Face Skeptical US FTC ReviewBloomberg · Oct 2024 Data 2024 The Swing-State Economic Realities Shaping the US ElectionBloomberg · Aug 2024 Data · Interactive 2024 Bangladeshi Politician's UK Property Empire Under ScrutinyBloomberg · Feb 2024 Investigative · Data 2023 BODY COUNT: Extrajudicial Executions in BangladeshNetra News · Nov 2023 Award · Data · Interactive 2023 Pandemic Population Boom in Rural Hotspots Sparks ResentmentBloomberg · Sep 2023 Reporting · Data 2023 In a small French town where LyondellBasell is a fixture, residents complain of unending pollutionPublic Health Watch / Grist · Sep 2023 Award · OSINT · Data 2023 In Bangladesh's border with Myanmar, 2 Rohingya militant groups fight for dominanceBenarNews / RFA · Feb 2023 Reporting · Analysis 2022 Secret prisoners of DhakaNetra News · Aug 2022 Editing · Award · OSINT 2022 5 years on, Rohingyas in Bangladesh face hostility and dwindling aidDevex · Aug 2022 Reporting · Analysis 2022 Election deniers march toward power in key 2024 battlegroundsThe Washington Post · Aug 2022 OSINT · Assistance 2022 Internet entrepreneurs far from the U.S. are inflaming political division on Facebook to sell T-shirts and coffee mugsSan Francisco Chronicle · Mar 2022 OSINT · Investigative 2022 The U.S. Has a Police Brutality Problem. So Does Bangladesh.Foreign Policy · Jan 2022 Analysis · Opinion 2021 Power corruption: All the state minister's menNetra News · Aug 2021 Investigative · OSINT 2020 Infection and RepressionColumbia Journalism Review · Sep 2020 Assistance 2020 Coronavirus exposes the deep divide in Bangladeshi societyThe Telegraph · Jun 2020 Reporting 2020 Covid-19 infections are rising fast in Bangladesh, India and PakistanThe Economist · Jun 2020 Reporting · Analysis 2020 For Bangladesh, Recognizing Israel Is an Immoral ChoiceHaaretz · May 2020 Analysis · Opinion

Published & cited

Bylines and contributions
The Washington Post Bloomberg Financial Times Foreign Policy The Economist The Telegraph Haaretz The Hindu Columbia Journalism Review Grist San Francisco Chronicle
Interviewed by
The Guardian Al Jazeera BBC

Selected experience

Jan 2026 — presentDhaka

Executive Editor · Netra News

I help lead daily coverage and investigations, and edit work on accountability, governance and human rights.

Jan 2024 — Dec 2025Washington, DC

US Economy Reporter · Bloomberg News

I reported on the US economy using labour-market, public-finance, demographic and geospatial data.

Aug 2023 — Jan 2024Washington, DC

English-Language Editor · BenarNews / Radio Free Asia

I edited coverage of Bangladesh’s 2024 election, political violence and democratic backsliding.

2019 — 2021; 2022 — 2023Dhaka & Berkeley

Investigative Reporter & Deputy Editor · Netra News

I reported on corruption and human rights, led Body Count and co-reported Secret Prisoners of Dhaka.

2017 — 2019Dhaka

Editorial Assistant · The Daily Star

I wrote editorials and reported features on politics, state policy and marginalised communities.

Awards & credentials

Education

Master of Journalism — Investigative & Data · 2023 · Commencement Speaker
Daffodil International University
BSS — Journalism & Mass Communication · 2018

Books & research

Routledge · 2022 · Co-author
Springer · 2021 · Co-author

Honours

FinalistLoeb Award
Shared · 2024
Shared · 2023

Fellowships

SABEW · 2025
UC Berkeley D-Lab · 2022
South Asian Journalists Association · 2022
Berkeley Journalism Fellowship
UC Berkeley GSJ · 2021
Chowdhury Center, UC Berkeley · 2021