Daily Janakantha (Bengali: দৈনিক জনকণ্ঠ Dainik Janakanṭha "Daily People's Voice") is a Bengali daily newspaper published from Dhaka, Bangladesh.[1] It is owned by Janakantha Shilpa Paribar (GJSP).[2]

Janakantha
10 September 2023 front page of Janakantha
TypeDaily newspaper
FormatPrint, online
Owner(s)Globe Janakantha Shilpa Paribar
EditorMohammad Atikullah Khan Masud
Founded1993
Political alignmentLeft
LanguageBengali
Websitewww.dailyjanakantha.com

History

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This newspaper was first published on 21 February 1993. Mohammad Atikullah Khan Masud was the editor of the newspaper till his death.[3][4][5] Janakantha created Janakantha Gunijan Sammanana and Pratibha Sammanana awards.[6]

In 1999, Bangladesh Army personnel defused a landmine left at the newspaper office by suspected Islamist militants.[7]

 
Janakantha Bhaban, headquarters of Janakantha

Mohammad Atikullah Khan Masud, editor of Janakantha, was arrested by joint forces on 7 March 2007 from Janakantha Bhaban.[8] He was charged with using fraud to get designs approved for two buildings in Hosseini Dalan Road from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha.[8] Tanzeena Ismail, Judge of Special Court-6, sentenced him to seven years imprisonment.[8] In October 2007 a fraud case was withdrawn against him after he settled the matter out of court with the accuser.[9] The accuser had alleged Masud had taken a deposit for a flat which he had not provided or returned the deposit.[9]

A former reporter of Janakantha, Aghore Mondal, threaten legal action after the newspaper accused him of using its name to secure accredations for the 2007 ICC World Twenty20.[10]

In January 2009, the editor of Janakantha, Mohammad Atikullah Khan Masud secured bail in four corruption cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.[11] Justice Md Shamsul Huda and Justice Abu Bakar Siddiquee of the High Court Division acquitted him in a corruption case.[12]

An auto-rickshaw carrying journalists of the Janakantha was shot at killing the driver and a nearby rickshaw-puller in April 2015.[13]

On 29 July 2015, a contempt of court verdict was issued against Janakantha, editor Swadesh Roy, and publisher Atiqullah Khan Masud over a report on Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.[14] The Appellate Division adjourned the hearing following an appeal by the defendants.[14] The two were found guilty of contempt of court and fined 10 thousand BDT which was to be donated to a charity.[15]

Former president of Dhaka Metropolitan Bar Association Arfan Uddin Khan filed a defamation case over a report on the newspaper which alleged a judge was writing the verdict against former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia after retirement.[16][17] Arrest warrants were issued against Atiqullah Khan Masud, Toab Khan, and Swadesh Roy.[16]

Executive Editor Swadesh Roy was one of the founders of the Editors Guild, Bangladesh in 2018.[18]

On 12 April 2021, ten journalists who had been terminated from the newspaper where attacked as they were protesting outside the newspaper office.[2] The injured journalists were treated at the Dhaka Community Hospital.[2] Atikullah Khan Masud, editor of Janakantha, died at the age of 71.[19] Salman F Rahman support loans from state owned Bank for the holding company of the newspaper, Globe Janakantha Shilpa Paribar.[20]

After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina led Awami League government, the Habiganj correspondent of the newspaper was sued on charges of attacking students protesting against Hasina.[21]

Ideology

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The newspaper has a secular to liberal political leaning and is published in both print and online versions.[citation needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Dhaka District". Banglapedia. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  2. ^ a b c "Daily Janakantha: Journos attacked while protesting termination; 10 hurt". The Daily Star. 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  3. ^ "Warrant issued for arrest of Janakantha editor, 2 others". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 2016-10-29. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  4. ^ "HC acquits Janakantha editor of ACC case". The Daily Star.
  5. ^ "Monajatuddin". Banglapedia. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  6. ^ "Well Done Janakantha". The Daily Star. 1999-01-09. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  7. ^ "Bangladesh Army Disarms Mosque Bomb". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2016-11-27. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  8. ^ a b c "Janakantha editor, Rajuk official jailed". The Daily Star. 2008-03-07. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  9. ^ a b "Janakantha editor cleared of fraud charges". The Daily Star. 2007-10-18. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  10. ^ "Mondal denies Janakantha allegation". The Daily Star. 2007-09-13. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  11. ^ "Janakantha editor gets ad-interim bail in four graft cases". The Daily Star. 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  12. ^ "HC acquits Janakantha editor of ACC case". The Daily Star. 2010-10-14. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  13. ^ "Shot Janakantha auto-rickshaw driver dies in DMCH". The Daily Star. 2015-04-24. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  14. ^ a b "Janakantha's contempt hearing adjourned until Aug 9". The Daily Star. 2015-08-03. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  15. ^ "2 Janakantha editors guilty of contempt". The Daily Star. 2015-08-14. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  16. ^ a b "Arrest warrant issued for Janakantha editor, 2 others". The Daily Star. 2016-03-21. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  17. ^ "Janakantha editor summoned to court March 21". The Daily Star. 2016-02-23. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  18. ^ "Editors Guild emerges". The Daily Star. 2018-12-23. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  19. ^ Report, Star Digital (2021-03-22). "Janakantha Editor Atikullah Khan Masud passes away". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  20. ^ Hasan, Md Mehedi (2024-08-16). "Salman used clout to help businesses secure loans". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  21. ^ "5 journos among 46 sued for attacking student protesters". The Daily Star. 2024-09-21. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
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