Mehedi Marof

Howard Fellow Mehedi Marof is a Bangladeshi journalist pursuing a master’s in journalism at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism.

He graduated summa cum laude in journalism from the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, where he received both the Vice Chancellor’s Award and the Dean’s Award.

Marof began his journalism career at The Business Standard newspaper in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and later joined Netra News, an independent investigative outlet known for its award-winning reporting. While based in Dhaka, he also worked as a freelance journalist and his bylines have appeared in major international publications, including Al Jazeera, NBC News, Dialogue Earth, Eco-Business, The Wire, Scroll and The Diplomat.

His on-the-ground coverage for multiple international media outlets during the student-led uprising that led to the ouster of Bangladesh’s longest-serving prime minister received acclaim from academics, journalists and the general public. One of his reports for Al Jazeera — examining the corrosive consequences of party-backed and violent student politics — was carried and republished by at least 50 South Asian outlets, including Bangladesh’s leading daily, Prothom Alo, and India’s Times of India. The story helped shape national discourse and contributed to tangible policy changes. Marof is also a 2024 Bangladesh Tech Policy Fellow.

Drawn by a passion for fair, truthful public interest journalism and holding power to account, he seeks to sharpen his data, investigative and storytelling skills at Merrill College to tell stories that truly matter and change lives.