bdnews24.com marked the beginning of a new era in the Bangladeshi news landscape, launching on October 23, 2006, as a completely online-based news platform. It is recognized as the country’s first 24-hour news portal. By pioneering the delivery of news solely through the internet, without the aid of a print edition, it quickly gained high readership as a reliable source for instant news in both Bengali and English. The company is primarily owned by the private entity bdnews24.com Limited. Since its inception, Toufique Imrose Khalidi has served as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Editor-in-Chief. In recent years, its ownership changes and investment attempts have generated considerable debate and controversy. This was particularly true when legal complications and disputes arose over the sale and purchase of its shares and investments involving an industrial group (the Bashundhara Group) and a multinational company (SEAML). Although these issues were eventually resolved, they raised questions about media freedom and commercialization. The platform claims to be a neutral and independent source, focusing on providing fast and in-depth coverage of the country’s political, economic, and social events. While it has occasionally faced accusations of bias, like other domestic news outlets, it remains one of the most widely read online news portals in the country and is considered a pioneer in digital journalism in Bangladesh.
