Netra Report WHO: Covid-19 deaths in Bangladesh five times higher than official numbers Bangladesh not alone in underestimating the number of Covid-19 deaths. Netra News May 5th 2022
Netra Report Leaked documents: RAB abducted Ilias Ali RAB-1: “If scrutinised closely, one can understand that [the disappearance of Ilias Ali] was a well-planned mission” that was “evidently carried out by RAB’s intelligence wing.” Netra News April 21st 2022
Netra Report Sanctioned businessmen serving as Bangladesh’s honorary consuls Bangladesh’s honorary consuls in Belarus and Saint Petersburg (Russia) have been sanctioned by multiple Western states. Netra News April 14th 2022
Netra Report UN committee calls for response from Bangladesh government on torture The Bangladesh government is two years late in responding to a highly critical report published by the UN Committee on Torture (CAT). Netra News March 29th 2022
Analysis Fixing the election umpire The selection of Bangladesh’s new election commissioners is a further sign that the country is moving towards a rigged election. Netra News February 28th 2022
Netra Report Bangladesh government hires US law firm In its attempt to reverse the US sanctioning of RAB, the Bangladesh government has hired a new law firm at a cost of $240,000. Netra News February 24th 2022
Netra Report Bangladesh embassy removes inaccurate statement as US congressman supports sanctions against RAB A Congress aide says that there will be “a lot more consequences” if elections are not “free, fair and credible”. Netra News February 6th 2022
Analysis Whereabouts unknown: Bangladesh’s 86 disappeared men Half of disappearances involve opposition-linked men, with sanctioned Rapid Action Battalion identified as responsible for over third of pick-ups. Netra News February 3rd 2022
Analysis The truth about BNP and Jamaat lobbying Neither the Awami League government nor the Bangladesh Nationalist Party is telling the truth about lobbying in the United States. Netra News January 28th 2022
Netra Report Bangladesh government’s “political propaganda” in the United States Read the documents sent out by the US lobbyist in 2021 seeking to promote the Bangladesh government in the United States. Netra News January 15th 2022
Netra Report Police pressure families of the disappeared Families of disappeared say that Bangladesh police are trying to mislead UN bodies by pressing them to retract claims. Netra News January 13th 2022
Netra Report Awami League government spent $2.4 million on US government lobbying Reports filed by lobbying firm show that Bangladesh government has regularly paid $320,000 per year to one firm to lobby the US government. Netra News January 7th 2022
Netra Report Benazir: “We are victims of lies, falsehood and deceit” After the US sanctions, Bangladesh’s police chief defends himself and RAB, blaming human rights groups and “anti-state” elements. Netra News January 6th 2022
Netra Report Aziz does not deny central allegation in Al Jazeera film Former Bangladesh army chief acknowledges his brother falsified passport and other documents. Netra News January 3rd 2022
Analysis US sanctions: Five things to watch It is too early to say what the implications of the US sanctions are, but here are five possible impacts. Netra News January 1st 2022
Netra Report UN working group: Bangladesh government uses “enforced disappearance to target political opponents or other dissidents” Letter sent to Bangladesh government contains damning allegations of human rights violations. Netra News December 23rd 2021
Netra Report UN human rights office: Allegations against RAB “relevant consideration” for peacekeeping deployment UN Human Rights deputy spokesperson comments on RAB and peacekeeping. Netra News December 21st 2021
Netra Report US sanctions on RAB: Key facts and analysis What you need to know about the imposition of US sanctions on Bangladesh’s elite law enforcement unit. Netra News December 13th 2021
Netra Report US Government sanctions RAB, Bangladesh police chief In major policy shift, the United States imposes sanctions on Bangladesh’s notorious law enforcement unit and its current and former commanders. Netra News December 10th 2021
Analysis Sanctions against RAB commanders? As President Biden holds the Summit for Democracy, the time may be right for the United States to sanction those responsible for hundreds of extrajudicial killings in Bangladesh. Netra News December 8th 2021
Netra Report Facebook took at least six days to remove video that triggered deadly communal violence in Bangladesh Social media company claims that a “dedicated team” took aggressive action to remove content inciting violence. Netra News November 7th 2021
Netra Report Facebook: Account set up in the name of Kanak Sarwar’s sister removed for “inauthentic behaviour” “The case against Nusrat Shahrin Raka was based on faked evidence,” says media watchdog. Netra News October 18th 2021
Netra Report Al Jazeera film on Bangladesh wins prestigious investigative award Award jury praised “All the Prime Minister’s Men” as providing “a unique insight into a state captured by organized crime and corruption”. Netra News October 12th 2021
Netra Report Bangladesh court remands sister of outspoken US-based dissident into custody Kanak Sarwar accused the government of seeking to silence him, but says his sister’s detention would not stop his criticisms. Netra News October 7th 2021
Analysis An assassination in Cox’s Bazar Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah’s killing should force an awakening. Netra News September 30th 2021
Netra Report Submission calls on UK government to sanction “leading members of the Bangladesh government” Bangladeshi politicians vulnerable to UK government travel and financial sanctions due to role in extrajudicial killings. Netra News August 26th 2021
Netra Report YouTube restores Netra News channel Publication of a report on alleged corruption involving a Bangladeshi minister triggers false copyright claims to YouTube. Netra News August 13th 2021
Analysis Who will be Bangladesh’s next army chief? Recent retirements and promotions provide new indications of who the prime minister will choose as the next Chief of Army Staff. Netra News June 4th 2021
Netra Report Army chief helped get presidential remission for his batchmate connected to the Freedom Party Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, co-signed the remission for a man who ran the businesses of those guilty of conspiring to assassinate her father. Netra News May 31st 2021
Netra Report Awami League’s trusted man in Budapest Bangladesh Army criticisms of the whistleblower in Al Jazeera’s film conflict with his role hosting ministers in Hungary over a five year period. Netra News March 11th 2021
Netra Report UN refutes Bangladesh Army spyware claims again The UN Department of Peace Operations denies for a second time that it had any agreement with the Bangladesh Army to purchase surveillance equipment. Netra News February 28th 2021
Analysis If not the prime minister’s, then whose men are they? As the country’s defence minister, the prime minister is rightly centre stage in Al Jazeera’s documentary. Netra News February 25th 2021
Analysis Ten things you need to know about the secret remission received by Haris and Anis Why the allegations raised in the Al Jazeera film still stand. Netra News February 17th 2021
Netra Report UN denies army’s claim about Israeli spyware, calls for corruption investigations Al Jazeera film starts to have political impact as UN spokesperson puts spotlight on Bangladesh. Netra News February 5th 2021
Netra Report Biden administration criticised for meetings with General Aziz Rights groups concerned that meetings could act as endorsement of Chief of Army Staff, at centre of corruption allegations. Netra News February 4th 2021
Netra Report The murder trial of the three Ahmed brothers What happened in the court proceedings that resulted in the convictions of the Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff’s brothers. Netra News February 2nd 2021
Netra Report Investigative documentary blows the lid off corruption at the heart of Bangladesh government Al Jazeera exposes network of political and financial corruption centred around Bangladesh’s army chief, implicating the prime minister. Netra News February 1st 2021
2020 First year of Netra News: Ten Selected Reports 2019-2020: Ten investigative reports selected by the editors. Netra News January 5th 2021
বিশ্লেষণ ইন্দো-প্যাসিফিক কৌশল: বাংলাদেশে মার্কিন তৎপরতা মার্কিন রাষ্ট্রপতি নির্বাচনের ফলাফল যাই হোক, শিঘ্রই হয়তো চীনের সাথে সম্পর্ক নিয়ে চাপের মুখোমুখি হবে বাংলাদেশ। Netra News November 5th 2020
Netra Report Police troubles: IGP vs. Commissioner A power struggle at the top of Bangladesh’s police service leads to the transfer of two police officers in opposing camps. Netra News October 25th 2020
Netra Report Sinha Murder: Allegations of gruesome torture on detained police officers in RAB custody “They gave us electric shocks. To the ears and other places. Ripped off chest hair. Gave us injections. We were hung by our hands from the ceiling. Beat mercilessly…” Netra News September 5th 2020
Analysis Bangladesh's national police chief who denies extrajudicial killings Rather than holding Benazir Ahmed accountable for killings under his command, he was appointed as head of the country’s police service. Netra News August 21st 2020
Netra Report DGFI: Retired Bangladesh army major shot dead in police “killing competition” A leaked confidential intelligence agency report claims that the retired army major came out of his car with hands above his head. Netra News August 3rd 2020
Netra Report We hack Facebook: State-sponsored cybercrime in Bangladesh Directorate General of Forces Intelligence accused of hacking and cyber crimes; “our boys and girls [hack Facebook]”, boasts the Bangladeshi telecom and ICT minister. Netra News May 30th 2020
Netra Report New predictive modelling supports strategy of intermittent relaxing of Bangladesh lockdown Total number of Covid-19 deaths could be kept below 5,000 say team of international academics Netra News May 28th 2020
Netra Report Epidemiological report: Relaxing the lockdown in Bangladesh could have serious consequences Modelling by MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis suggests loosening of Bangladesh lockdown could result in daily infections increasing 18-fold. Netra News May 21st 2020
Netra Report Crackdown against critical voices Rapid Action Battalion targets journalists, writers, activists and businessmen using the controversial Digital Security Act. Netra News May 7th 2020
Netra Report Covid-19: Sudden spike in the number of recovered in Bangladesh Total number of recovered rises to 1063 from 177 in less than 24 hours. Netra News May 4th 2020
Netra Report Covid-19: Rohingya refugees fear being killed by medical staff in camps Lack of trust between the Rohingyas and healthcare providers must be urgently addressed to ensure effective Covid-19 treatment in the refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh. Netra News April 16th 2020
Netra Report Covid-19: Transmission spreads in Dhaka cantonment Those infected include eight officers from the Army Medical Corps. Netra News April 14th 2020
Netra Report Covid-19: United Nations coordination group voices concerns about government preparations in Rohingya camps Limited testing, lack of oxygen supplies, no intensive care capacity and mobile phone restrictions amongst concerns set out in UN report. Netra News April 11th 2020
Netra Report First case of Covid-19 infection in Bangladesh Army Army Medical Corps officer, on duty at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka, tested positive for Covid-19. Netra News April 8th 2020
Netra Report Covid-19: Bangladesh in urgent need of personal protective equipment for hospitals United Nations situation report notes quickly depleting stock of PPE and N95 masks. Netra News April 7th 2020
Netra Report United Nations interagency Covid-19 memo: Without interventions, “upto 2 million” people may die in Bangladesh Leaked UN interagency memo led by WHO predicts “complete saturation” of the health system early in the Covid-19 epidemic and “rampant” exposure of healthcare workers in Bangladesh. Netra News March 28th 2020
Netra Report Brac University attempts to restrict access to Bangladesh Covid-19 report Bangladesh Covid-19 report removed from Scribd at the request of Brac James P Grant School of Public Health — Netra News is now making available a redacted copy of the report. Netra News March 27th 2020
Netra Report Researcher in trouble for co-authoring Bangladesh Covid-19 projections Brac University to investigate and take action against senior academic for his role in producing Covid-19 forecasts for Bangladesh, based on internationally respected modelling. Netra News March 22nd 2020
Netra Report Covid-19: Without government action, over 500,000 may die in Bangladesh According to a forecast by epidemiologists and public health academics, 81% of the entire population of Bangladesh may get infected by Covid-19, with 80,796 deaths on a single day. Netra News March 21st 2020
Netra Report Cashing in influence Sheikh Hasina’s aide and influential members of parliament are among the powerful backers of the controversial company behind the digital financial service Nagad. Netra News March 6th 2020
Netra Report The general and the casino don BGB officers accuse Major General Shafeenul Islam of criminal ties with Selim Prodhan. Netra News February 21st 2020
Netra Report Rupa Huq MP: Bangladesh is a “rogue state” In an unusual intervention, the Bangladeshi origin British Labour MP strongly criticised the Awami League’s human rights record and the party’s hagiography towards its leaders. Netra News February 14th 2020
Netra Report Sheikh Taposh’s magic money tree Why a dubious fish farm, which catapulted Awami League’s mayoral candidate for Dhaka South, into the category of Bangladesh’s super rich, requires investigation. Netra News January 23rd 2020
Netra Report Undisclosed business: Tabith Awal’s company in Singapore BNP’s mayoral candidate for Dhaka North fails to disclose ownership of a foreign company in his affidavit to the Election Commission of Bangladesh. Netra News January 16th 2020
Netra Report Medical Board: Khaleda in “crippled state” The Appellate Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court refused bail after receiving a medical board report referring to Khaleda’s serious health condition. Netra News January 16th 2020
Netra Report Obaidul Quader’s wristwatch troubles As the influential minister admits to receiving expensive luxury watches as “gifts”, anti-corruption watchdog demands investigation. Netra News January 11th 2020
Documents Obaidul Quader's affidavit and tax certificate Documents obtained by Netra News investigative team. Netra News January 10th 2020
Fact-check No confirmation about the arrest of Sheikh Hasina’s son-in-law Fake news of arrest spread by anti-government websites and pro-BNP accounts. Netra News January 10th 2020
Netra Report Koko corruption Corruption of Arafat “Koko” Rahman, according to US court records. Netra News January 4th 2020
Netra Report A wrist of luxury Luxury wristwatches at the centre of new corruption allegation against Obaidul Quader, the Bangladeshi minister of road transport and bridges. Netra News December 27th 2019