Bangladeshi investigative journalist Md Ibrahim Khalilullah has won the 2025 Covering Climate Now (CCNow) Journalism Award, one of the world’s most prestigious honors in climate reporting. His documentary Taken by the River, produced with CNN Academy, earned the top prize in the Displacement and Migration category, standing out among more than 1,200 entries from 65 countries.
The award was announced on September 19, recognizing Khalilullah’s groundbreaking work that documents the harsh realities of climate displacement in Bangladesh. The film portrays the struggles of families uprooted by river erosion, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events, which have already displaced more than seven million people nationwide. With intimate storytelling and compelling visuals, Khalilullah gives voice to communities often excluded from global climate debates.
“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from Covering Climate Now, an organization at the forefront of elevating climate journalism worldwide,” Khalilullah said. “This award is not just for me but for the millions affected by climate displacement in Bangladesh and beyond. It motivates me to continue investigating and reporting on the intersections of environmental crises, human rights, and policy failures.”
Based in Dhaka, Khalilullah is a Nuffic Scholar, member of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network, and a fellow of the Earth Journalism Network. His work has been featured by CNN and previously nominated for the Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award. He is widely recognized for his investigative focus on climate, environmental, and social justice issues.
Now in its fifth year, the CCNow Journalism Awards celebrate excellence in climate storytelling across multiple categories. This year, the program honored 49 winners, underscoring CCNow’s mission to inspire the global media to treat climate change as “the defining story of our time.”
Taken by the River is available for viewing on the CCNow website, where it continues to spark global conversations on the urgent need for action on climate migration.
