Mohammad Atikullah Khan Masud

Mohammad Atikullah Khan Masud (29 August 1951 – 22 March 2021) was a Bangladeshi journalist, editor, and publisher, best known as the founder and editor of the Bangla daily newspaper, Daily Janakantha. He was the chairperson of Globe Janakantha Shilpa Paribar.

Early life Masud was born on 29 August 1951 in Medini Mandal, Munshiganj District, East Bengal, Pakistan.

Career Masud founded Globe Janakantha Shilpa Paribar in 1969 as a 17-year-old college student. He exported betel leaf from East Pakistan to West Pakistan taking an advantage of the price difference between the two wings of Pakistan.

Masud established Globe Insecticides Limited in 1978, becoming the largest manufacturer of insecticides in Bangladesh.

Masud was arrested in March 2007 by joint police and military forces under the Caretaker government from the Janakantha office in Eskaton; the same night Tareque Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, was arrested. He was taken to his residence in Dhaka Cantonment, the residence was then searched.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed four cases against Masud along with several former Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) officials, for corruption and document theft. The allegations include illegally obtaining building design approvals and stealing official documents with the help of complicit RAJUK personnel. In March, he was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in one case. In March 2016, an arrest warrant was issued against Masud over an alleged defamatory article on Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha which alleged he was a member of the Shanti Bahini in 1971. In the same case, warrants were issued against his colleagues Toab Khan and Swadesh Roy.