{{Short description|Bangladeshi journalist}} {{use dmy dates|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Zulkarnain Saer Khan | image = Zulkar Sami Khan.jpg | alt = | caption = Khan in 2026 | native_name = {{nobold|জুলকারনাইন সায়ের খান}} | native_name_lang = bn | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | other_names = Sami<ref name="fb">{{cite web |url=https://m.facebook.com/saerzulkarnain/?profile_tab_item_selected=about |title=About |author=Saer Zulkarnain |via=Facebook |access-date=2025-02-08}}</ref> | occupation = Journalist | years_active = | father = | alma_mater = | known_for = Investigative journalism | notable_works = ''All the Prime Minister's Men'' | awards = Global Shining Light Awards (2023)<br/>Best DIG Investigative (Medium) Award (2025)<br/>Amnesty International UK Media Awards 2022 | movement = Student–People's uprising (online activism) }} '''Zulkarnain Saer Khan''' '''Sami''' is a U.K.-based exiled Bangladeshi journalist<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last=Pieal |first=Jannatul Naym |date=30 August 2024 |title=Exiled journalists who endured personal sacrifices to uncover the truth |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/features/panorama/exiled-journalists-who-endured-personal-sacrifices-uncover-truth-929331 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240830052634/https://www.tbsnews.net/features/panorama/exiled-journalists-who-endured-personal-sacrifices-uncover-truth-929331 |archive-date=30 August 2024 |work=The Business Standard |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |script-title=bn:জুলাই হামলার ১০ অনুঘটকের তথ্য প্রকাশ জুলকারনাইন শায়েরের |url=https://thedailycampus.com/national/164890/%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%87-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%A5%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A7%A7%E0%A7%A6-%E0%A6%85%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%98%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%A5%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B6-%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A7%9F%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0 |access-date=1 March 2025 |work=thedailycampus.com |date=29 December 2024|language=bn}}</ref> and a member of ''Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pro-uprising activists, journalists targeted in Facebook hacking spree |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/tech-startup/news/pro-uprising-activists-journalists-targeted-facebook-hacking-spree-3791036 |access-date=1 March 2025 |work=The Daily Star |date=3 January 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-03-24 |title=US Embassy expects investigation of alleged assault on journo's brother |url=https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/crime-and-law/77tzyi6me7|access-date=2024-08-31 |work=Prothom Alo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325055104/https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/crime-and-law/77tzyi6me7 |archive-date=25 March 2023 |language=en}}</ref> He is a researcher at Organized Crime and Corruption Project Reporting.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-22 |title=Exiled Bangladeshi journalist Zulkarnain Saer Khan decries Weekly Blitz smear campaign |url=https://cpj.org/2023/11/exiled-bangladeshi-journalist-zulkarnain-saer-khan-decries-weekly-blitz-smear-campaign/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=Committee to Protect Journalists |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |script-title=bn:প্রত্যক্ষদর্শীরা কেউ ভয়ে পুলিশের সামনে নামগুলো বলেনি: সাংবাদিক জুলকারনাইন সায়ের খান |url=https://www.voabangla.com/a/7293470.html|access-date=1 March 2025 |publisher=Voice of America |date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240915195008/https://www.voabangla.com/a/7293470.html |archive-date=15 September 2024 |language=bn}}</ref> He had risen to fame after working on and appearing in Al Jazeera's widely discussed 2021 documentary ''All the Prime Minister's Men''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-02-02 |title=Sequel by same group attempting to destabilise country: Bangladesh Army's rejoinder on Al Jazeera report |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/bangladesh/news/sequel-same-group-attempting-destabilise-country-bangladesh-armys-rejoinder-al-jazeera-report-2038061?amp |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref> He won Global Shining Light Awards at GIJC23 by Global Investigative Journalism Network for his work at Secret prisoners of Dhaka.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Philp |first=Rowan |date=21 September 2023 |title=Investigations from Nigeria, Venezuela, South Africa, and North Macedonia Win Global Shining Light Awards at GIJC23 |url=https://gijn.org/stories/global-shining-light-award-investigative-journalism-winners-2023/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=gijn.org |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Career == Khan is working with several prominent media organisations worldwide, including Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit (I-Unit),<ref>{{cite news |title=Simin Rahman's Transcom Group a Mafia: Journalist Zulkarnain |url=https://www.daily-sun.com/post/789281 |access-date=1 March 2025 |work=Daily Sun |date=30 January 2025 |language=en}}</ref> Netra News, Haaretz, and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project to produce comprehensive investigative reports on Bangladesh.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Journalists in Bangladeshi diaspora say govt targets them through transnational repression |url=https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/bengali/bangladesh-diaspora-journalists-transnational-repression-12212023101937.html |access-date=1 March 2025 |work=Benar News |language=en}}</ref>
In 2021, the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of the Bangladeshi police charged Zulkarnain Saer Khan alias Sami and six others in a case filed under the 2018 Digital Security Act for "spreading rumours and carrying out anti-government activities".<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-06-13 |title=Police press charges against Sami, Tasneem Khalil, Kishore, 4 others under digital security act |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/law-our-rights/law-news/news/police-press-charges-against-sami-tasneem-khalil-kishore-4-others-under-digital-security-act-2110345 |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref> The Digital Security Act was alleged to be used in Bangladesh to crack down on political dissent and investigative journalism.
In March 2023, Khan's brother Mahinur Khan was beaten with iron rods by four unidentified men while out grocery shopping in the Shewrapara, a neighbourhood of Dhaka.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ritzen |first=Yarno |date=24 March 2023 |title=Bangladesh investigative journalist's brother 'beaten with rods' |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/24/bangladesh-investigative-journalist-brother-beaten-with-rods |access-date=2024-08-31 |publisher=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref> The US Embassy in Bangladesh and UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders requested a probe into alleged attack.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-03-25 |title=UN expert, int'l orgs condemn attack on Zulkarnain's brother |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/un-expert-intl-orgs-condemn-attack-zulkarnains-brother-3280111 |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref>
=== ''The Minister's Millions'' === In September 2024, Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit published a documentary on former land minister of Bangladesh Saifuzzaman Chowdhury. Zulkarnain, the lead investigator of the documentary titled ''The Minister's Millions'' said Chowdhury has built a property empire worth at least $675 million, with plush properties in the UK, the US and the UAE.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-09-20 |title=Ex-AL minister has property empire worth $675 million |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/ex-al-minister-has-property-empire-worth-675-million-3707731 |access-date=2024-09-21 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref> Authorities in Bangladesh have frozen his bank accounts and are now investigating claims that Chowdhury laundered millions of dollars into the UK.<ref>{{Cite news |publisher=Al Jazeera|title=How a Bangladesh minister spent more than $500m on luxury property |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/9/20/how-a-bangladesh-minister-spent-more-than-500m-on-luxury-property |access-date=2024-09-21 |language=en}}</ref> The Minister's Millions," has been awarded with the Best DIG Investigative (Medium) Award at the prestigious DIG Festival 2025 in Modena, Italy!<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ferrara |first=Danilo |date=2025-09-27 |title=Tutti i vincitori dei DIG Awards 2025 |url=https://dig-awards.org/eng/news/vincitori-dig-awards-2025/ |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=DIG Festival |language=en-GB}}</ref>
=== ''The Mother and the Monster'' === In May 2025, Al Jazeera published a documentary ''The Mother and the Monster'', part of the ''101 East'' series, which delves into Bangladesh's political landscape following the tenure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. As a lead investigator Zulkarnain investigates the nation's trajectory after Hasina's leadership, examining the challenges and prospects that lie ahead. It features interviews with key figures, including The Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and The Chief of Army Staff Wakaruzzaman. The documentary aims to shed light on the complexities of Bangladesh's governance and the implications for its citizens in a post-Hasina era.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txhtxb0ZjVk&feature=youtu.be |title=The Mother and the Monster: After Sheikh Hasina, what's next for Bangladesh? {{!}} 101 East Documentary |date=2025-05-01 |publisher=Al Jazeera |access-date=2025-05-15 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
=== ''36 Days in July: Sheikh Hasina's secret orders revealed'' === Khan has obtained covertly recorded phone calls that reveal how the former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, ordered the use of lethal force to crack down on student protesters during the July Uprising in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HASINA – 36 DAYS IN JULY |url=http://network.aljazeera.net/en/press-releases/hasina-%E2%80%93-36-days-july |access-date=2025-08-23 |website=Al Jazeera Media Network |language=en}}</ref> This investigative programme was aired on Al Jazeera English tells the inside story of Sheikh Hasina’s final days in the summer of 2024 as a bloody protest swept through Bangladesh and ended a political dynasty. It includes eyewitness accounts, investigations, photographs and analysis.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thorne |first=Al Jazeera Investigative Unit, Will |title='Shoot them': Sheikh Hasina ordered firing on Bangladesh protesters in 2024 |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/24/shoot-them-sheikh-hasina-ordered-firing-on-bangladesh-protesters-in-2024 |access-date=2025-08-23 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hasina: 36 Days in July |url=https://www.ajiunit.com/investigation/hasina-36-days-in-july/ |access-date=2025-07-24 |website=Al Jazeera Investigative Unit |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=HASINA – 36 DAYS IN JULY |url=http://network.aljazeera.net/en/press-releases/hasina-%E2%80%93-36-days-july |access-date=2025-07-24 |website=Al Jazeera Media Network |language=en}}</ref>
== External links == * {{commons-inline}} * {{Twitter|id=ZulkarnainSaer}} * {{Facebook|id=saerzulkarnain}} * {{YouTube|id=JJ-U3PB4xjQ&vl=en|title=The Minister's Millions}}
Category:Living people Category:21st-century Bangladeshi journalists Category:Bangladeshi exiles Category:Human rights abuses in Bangladesh Category:Al Jazeera people Category:Bangladeshi human rights activists Category:Bangladeshi political journalists Category:1983 births Category:Bangladeshi anti-fascists