Faridul Mostafa Khan

Faridul Mostafa Khan is a Bangladeshi journalist and editor of the Cox’s Bazar Bani daily newspaper and the online news portal Janatar Bani. He is known for reporting on police corruption and extrajudicial killings in southern Bangladesh, particularly involving former Teknaf police chief Pradeep Kumar Das, who was later convicted in the murder of retired army major Murder of Major Sinha Mohammed Rashed Khan.^[1][2]

Faridul is the founder and editor of Cox’s Bazar Bani and Janatar Bani. In 2019, he published a series of investigative reports exposing extortion and intimidation by Teknaf police officers under OC Pradeep, who allegedly threatened citizens with “crossfire” killings if they refused to pay bribes.^[3]

On 19 September 2019, Faridul was arrested in Dhaka after OC Pradeep filed several extortion complaints against him. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), he was taken to Teknaf and tortured in custody—his hands and legs were broken, fingernails and toenails pulled out with pliers, red chili rubbed into his eyes, and sewage water forced into his mouth.^[4][5] He remained detained without trial for nearly eleven months and was denied medical treatment.^[6]

Police later raided his home, planted firearms and narcotics, and charged him under fabricated drug and weapons cases, which rights groups condemned as retaliation for his journalism.^[7] He was granted bail on 27 August 2020 after the Cox’s Bazar District Court accepted petitions in all six pending cases.^[8]

On 8 September 2020, soon after his release, Faridul filed a case against 26 policemen including Pradeep Kumar Das, accusing them of torture, attempted murder, and fabricating evidence.^[9] He later testified in the murder trial of Major (Retd.) Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan, describing Pradeep’s network of extortion and staged “gunfights.” He told the court that Pradeep urinated on his face and threatened to kill him if he continued publishing exposés.^{[10][11][12][13]}

RSF and other human-rights bodies condemned his detention and torture, urging Bangladesh’s judiciary to drop all charges and ensure press-freedom protections.^[14] The U.S. Department of State cited his case in its 2020 Country Report on Human Rights Practices, describing it as an example of arbitrary detention and police brutality against journalists.^[15]

In 2023, Faridul announced his intention to contest the 12th National Parliament Election from Ukhia–Teknaf (Cox’s Bazar-4) as an Awami League candidate, describing himself as a “victimised journalist and anti-corruption campaigner.” Several journalist associations supported his candidacy.^[16]

After release, Faridul and journalist groups launched multiple campaigns seeking dismissal of all six fabricated cases. On 24 January 2021, the Bangladesh Mofossol Sangbadik Forum (BMSF) held a demonstration in front of the Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner’s office, demanding withdrawal of the cases and protection for Faridul.^[17] In September 2020, he petitioned the district administration for withdrawal of the cases and compensation for financial losses.^[18][19] In December 2025, renewed media coverage reported that six false cases filed by former OC Pradeep still remain unresolved, causing continuing financial hardship for his family.^[20][21]

• Pradeep Kumar Das
• Murder of Major Sinha Mohammed Rashed Khan
• Freedom of the press in Bangladesh
• Human rights in Bangladesh