Sobhan is one of the few Bangladeshi members of the
New York State Bar. He was an associate at
Debevoise & Plimpton. He also worked as a public school teacher in New York City. In 2003, Sobhan moved to Dhaka to lead the opinions team at
The Daily Star. He became the
op-ed editor of the newspaper and revived the
Forum magazine, which was in publication from 2004 to 2010. He also gained journalistic experience at
The Independent,
Dhaka Courier and
Shokaler Khobor. Sobhan became Bangladesh's first internationally syndicated columnist with articles published in many newspapers and magazines, including
The New York Times,
Economic and Political Weekly,
The Guardian,
Himal Southasian,
Time, and
Outlook among others. He was named by the
World Economic Forum as a
Young Global Leader. He also became a
Yale World Fellow in 2009. While criticized for pushing pro-
Awami League talking points, the Tribune emerged as a significant interlocutor among
civil society by holding seminars and interviews of key stakeholders in Bangladesh's politics. The Tribune's opinion columns have also attracted international columnists, including Nobel laureates and public intellectuals from around the world, as well as diplomats, politicians, and professionals from various fields. Sobhan has cultivated a
niche readership for his newspaper among the diplomatic community, civil society, youth, and the political class. In 2025, Sobhan launched a weekly newspaper and online platform called Counterpoint. ==Views==