Samakal reporter Abu Saleh Rony sets record with 12 DRU best reporting awards

Melbourne, 17 November 2025:  Abu Saleh Rony, Senior Reporter at the daily Samakal, has been honoured with the Nagad–DRU (Dhaka Reporters Unity) Best Reporting Award 2025 in the category of political, administrative, judiciary, and Election Commission reporting. He received the award for his five-part investigative series titled “Crisis in the Judiciary,” published in Samakal between 17 and 21 October last year.

The award ceremony was held today (Sunday) at the International Mother Language Institute in Segunbagicha. With this recognition, Rony has set a remarkable milestone — winning the DRU Best Reporting Award a record 12 times, an achievement unmatched in Bangladeshi journalism.

Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, Adviser to the Ministry of Finance, attended the event as the chief guest and handed over the awards to the recipients. Kaiser A. Chowdhury, Chairman of the Managing Board, BPO–Nagad, attended as a special guest. The ceremony was presided over by DRU President Abu Saleh Akon. Jury Board Chair and Financial Express Editor Shamsul Huq Zahid was also present, while DRU General Secretary Mainul Hasan Sohel delivered the welcome remarks.

A total of 27 journalists were awarded in 24 categories, including six journalists who were jointly recognised in three categories. Each awardee received a crest, a certificate, and a cheque of Tk 50,000.

The award-winning five-part series, published last October, examined long-standing challenges within the judiciary — including alleged government interference, corruption and irregularities, the chronic case backlog, issues in budget formulation, and limitations in project implementation. Alongside expert commentary, the series highlighted deep-rooted structural factors contributing to the ongoing crisis.

Over his decade-and-a-half career in journalism, Abu Saleh Rony has previously received the Bazlur Rahman Memorial Award twice for reporting on the Liberation War, as well as the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Award for investigative reporting on corruption. He has also earned multiple accolades for his work on law and justice, women and children, culture, and several other beats.