bdnews24.com

bdnews24.com is a Bangladesh-based online news organization publishing in both English and Bengali. It began in 2005 as BDNEWS, a web-based news agency founded and developed by Ahmed Yasir Riad. At launch, it positioned itself as Bangladesh’s first news agency operating exclusively through the web, at a time when the country’s established national news agencies primarily used teleprinter-based distribution. The initiative later developed into a continuously updated bilingual news portal. In 2006, the organization underwent a takeover involving its holding company, Bangladesh News 24 Hours Ltd. After the takeover, ownership and board control were associated with two directors: Toufique Imrose Khalidi, who serves as managing director and editor-in-chief, and Asif Mahmood, who serves as chair of the company. In October 2006, the service was relaunched and adopted the bdnews24.com name, presenting itself as Bangladesh’s first free online newspaper. The relaunch marked a shift from a primarily agency-oriented operation toward a direct-to-reader digital publication. The portal publishes national and international reporting across a broad range of subjects. Its regular coverage includes Bangladeshi politics and public affairs, trade, business and the economy, world news, science, the environment, health, technology, children’s news, entertainment and sports. It also maintains a section called “Hello,” associated with contributions and reporting aimed at young journalists. The English- and Bengali-language editions allow the organization to serve domestic readers while also reaching overseas audiences interested in Bangladesh. The organization has periodically faced interruptions to access. In May 2012, its office was attacked by men carrying machetes, and three journalists were injured. In June 2018, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission blocked the website without initially providing a public explanation; the site was restored after several hours. The regulator later attributed the action to allegedly objectionable comments in a news item, while contemporaneous reporting connected the episode with coverage concerning the appointment of General Aziz Ahmed as army chief. On 1 September 2023, bdnews24.com announced that it could not provide regular portal services for reasons beyond its control and directed readers toward its social-media channels while work to restore the website continued. Public commentary linked the interruption to the publication of politically sensitive analysis and reported that the site had been blocked in Bangladesh and India, although the precise cause was not established in the available reference material. The website displayed a maintenance message in early September and was operational again the following month. These episodes illustrate both the reach of bdnews24.com as an independent digital news outlet and the vulnerability of online journalism platforms to regulatory, political and technical disruption.

bdnews24.com originated in 2005 as BDNEWS, a web-based news agency established by Ahmed Yasir Riad. The organization was conceived as an online-first alternative to Bangladesh’s existing national news agencies, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha and United News of Bangladesh, which were historically associated with teleprinter-based wire-service distribution. From its beginning, the project emphasized web publication rather than relying on the conventional physical and teleprinter infrastructure of news agencies. Riad developed the bdnews24.com website during the early period of the organization’s existence. The service became notable for operating in both English and Bengali and for providing around-the-clock online updates. This bilingual, continuously updated model enabled the organization to serve Bangladeshi readers in the country’s principal language as well as English-speaking readers at home and abroad. A significant organizational change occurred in the middle of 2006, when Bangladesh News 24 Hours Ltd, the holding company associated with the operation, was taken over. Following that change, board control was described as being divided between two directors: Toufique Imrose Khalidi, a journalist and former BBC broadcaster who became managing director and editor-in-chief, and Asif Mahmood, who became chair. The change helped establish the management structure associated with the mature bdnews24.com operation. In October 2006, the service relaunched under the bdnews24.com brand as a free online newspaper. This relaunch broadened the organization’s role from a web-based news agency into a direct-to-reader digital publication. Its editorial scope expanded across domestic politics, business, trade, economics, international affairs, science, environmental issues, health, technology, children’s content, entertainment and sports. A “Hello” section also provided a space associated with young journalists. The resulting publication combined the speed and breadth of a news agency with the format and accessibility of an online newspaper. The organization’s work has taken place in a challenging environment for journalism and digital access. On 28 May 2012, men armed with machetes attacked the bdnews24.com office, injuring three journalists. The incident highlighted the physical risks faced by newsroom staff. In June 2018, the website was blocked by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission. The block lasted several hours before access was restored. The regulator said the action related to allegedly objectionable comments in one of the site’s news items; the available account does not identify the exact item, although other reporting associated the episode with coverage of General Aziz Ahmed’s appointment as army chief. The site encountered another major interruption in September 2023. On 1 September, bdnews24.com stated that regular service could not be provided for reasons beyond the organization’s control and apologized to readers. It directed audiences to Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube for updates while saying that efforts to restore the website were continuing. Political scientist Ali Riaz commented on the episode in connection with an analysis by Chandan Nandy about India’s influence on Bangladeshi politics. The analysis was later published on an Indian website, and commentary reported that the bdnews24.com site had been blocked in India and Bangladesh. The exact cause of the 2023 interruption was not established in the cited reference material. The website showed a maintenance message on 7 September and was operational again the next month. Today, bdnews24.com is best understood as an active Bangladeshi digital news brand whose identity rests on bilingual publication, rapid online reporting and broad national coverage. Its history reflects the transition from conventional wire services to web-native journalism, while its repeated access disruptions demonstrate the operational and regulatory pressures that can affect online news organizations.

• 2023

  Service interruption and restoration

  [1]Bdnews24.comen.wikipedia.org

  The portal announces an interruption in regular service on 1 September, remains in maintenance in early September, and becomes operational again the following month.

• 2018

  Temporary regulatory blocking

  [1]Bdnews24.comen.wikipedia.org

  The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission blocks the website for several hours before restoring access.

• 2012

  Newsroom attack

  [1]Bdnews24.comen.wikipedia.org

  An attack on the organization’s office injures three journalists.

• 2006

  Holding-company takeover

  [1]Bdnews24.comen.wikipedia.org

  Bangladesh News 24 Hours Ltd undergoes a takeover, after which Toufique Imrose Khalidi and Asif Mahmood are identified as the two board directors associated with the operation.

• 2006

  Relaunch as bdnews24.com

  [1]Bdnews24.comen.wikipedia.org

  The service relaunches in October under the bdnews24.com name as a free online newspaper.

• 2005

  BDNEWS launches as a web-based news agency

  [1]Bdnews24.comen.wikipedia.org

  Ahmed Yasir Riad establishes BDNEWS as Bangladesh’s first exclusively web-based news agency, according to the cited reference account.

A free, continuously updated, bilingual Bangladeshi digital news service combining news-agency reporting with direct-to-reader online journalism.

• Digital news publication · 2006

  bdnews24.com English edition

  The English-language edition delivers Bangladesh-focused and international reporting for English-speaking readers. Its coverage spans politics, economics, business, trade, world affairs, science, health, technology, environment, entertainment and sport. It forms one half of the organization’s bilingual publishing model and also supports access by international readers following Bangladeshi events.

• Digital news publication · 2006

  bdnews24.com Bengali edition

  The Bengali edition provides continuously updated news for Bangladesh’s domestic-language audience. It covers national politics and public affairs alongside business, society, health, science, technology, entertainment and sports. Together with the English edition, it supports the portal’s role as a bilingual online news service rather than a single-language specialist publication.

• Youth journalism section

  Hello

  Hello is a bdnews24.com section associated with young journalists and youth-oriented reporting. It sits within the broader portal rather than functioning as a separate consumer product, providing a distinct editorial space alongside the organization’s general news categories.

• 2023

  Temporary migration of audience updates to social mediaOther

  Background

  The portal announced on 1 September 2023 that it could not provide regular services for reasons beyond its control.

  Action taken

  bdnews24.com directed readers to Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube while work to restore the website continued.

  Aftermath

  The site showed a maintenance message in early September and was operational again the following month. The precise cause of the interruption remains unclear in the cited reference material.

  Source

• 2018

  Response to temporary website blockingOther

  Background

  The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission blocked bdnews24.com in June 2018, citing allegedly objectionable comments in a news item.

  Action taken

  The organization’s website was restored after several hours; the cited material does not describe a separate commercial or editorial restructuring.

  Aftermath

  The episode became an example of the access and regulatory risks affecting the publication, although the specific news item was not identified in the available account.

  Source

• 2006

  Relaunch as a free online newspaperStrategy

  Background

  After the 2006 change involving Bangladesh News 24 Hours Ltd, the organization moved beyond its original news-agency identity and prepared a reader-facing online newspaper.

  Action taken

  The service relaunched in October 2006 under the bdnews24.com name as a free online newspaper.

  Aftermath

  The relaunch established the brand’s long-term identity as a bilingual digital news portal combining agency-style updates with direct online publication.

  Source

1. 1Bdnews24.comen.wikipedia.org
2. 2bdnews24.com official websitebdnews24.com