Netra News

(Updated on October 30th 2025)

“Netra, in Bangla, means eye. We have chosen this name as we consider our monitorial or watchdog role as the core of our work. We will be the ever-curious and ever-alert observer. We will be reporting the news according to the highest standards of journalism. Public interest, fairness and accuracy are the three principles that will dictate what we observe and how we report. And it is our readers to whom we shall remain accountable as a news organisation.” — inaugural editorial of Netra News, December 26th 2019.

Netra News is an independent platform for public interest journalism that publishes reportage, analysis, and debate on Bangladeshi politics, society, and culture.

The editorial office of Netra News is located in the Swedish city of Malmö. We are registered as an online publication with the Swedish Press and Broadcasting Authority (Myndigheten för press, radio och tv).

Netra News is a project of Bangladesh Media Network, a non-profit association, which is overseen by an organisational board.

🗞️ Netra News editorial team:

Tasneem Khalil (Sweden), Editor-in-Chief (ansvarig utgivare)
Ikhtisad Ahmed (Sweden), Managing Editor
Nusmila Lohani (Bangladesh), Deputy Editor

📄 What is our editorial mission?

Netra News defends democracy in Bangladesh through public interest journalism. We publish investigations to expose human rights abuses and corruption, we also publish news analysis, interviews and opinion pieces to engender public debate. We are a civic space and champion of democratic ideals and fundamental freedoms in Bangladesh. We resist censorship and distribute multi-format content through ubiquitous mediums while adhering to the highest journalistic standards and ethics.

🪙 How is Netra News funded?

We launched our news operation with, and continue to receive, support from a grant by the National Endowment for Democracy, a private, non-profit foundation funded annually by the United States Congress but operates independently of the US executive branch. We have also received grants from the Fojo Media Institute and the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy.

Our news agenda and editorial decisions are entirely independent of all donors and even the board of our parent organisation. We do not discuss or coordinate stories with donors, governments, or any entities outside the newsroom and our sources. Nor do we take directives from any external party. We vigorously uphold the editorial independence that defines Netra News’ core values.

ℹ️ Netra News, netra.news
Bangladesh Media Network (tillståndshavare)
Responsible publisher (ansvarig utgivare): Tasneem Khalil

BMN/Netra
Media Evolution City
Stora Varvsgatan 6A
211 19 Malmö
Sweden

💬 Please see our contact page to reach our editorial team.