Bulbul was the executive editor of the daily Sangbad in 2006.[13] He was the Chief of News of ATN Bangla in 2007.[14] He served in a committee to monitor the textbook distribution by National Curriculum and Textbook Board.[15]
Bulbul was the editor-in-chief of ATN News. He was a chief editor of Boishakhi Television.[16] In 2015, he said a culture of impunity was threatening the press in Bangladesh.[17] He received a death threat from Ansarullah Bangla Team, an Al Qaeda affiliate.[18][19]
In 2016, following the death of then-president Altaf Mahmud, Bulbul was elected president of the pro-Awami League faction of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists through a by-election.[20] Prior to that, he had already served two consecutive terms as president.[20] He called for the 9th Wage Board to be implemented for journalists.[21] He served in the Bangladesh Press Council in 2015 and 2017.[22][23]
Bulbul was a member of the jury board for the National Film Awards 2022.[24] He served as an election commissioner for the Economic Reporters' Forum election.[25] He was critical of the Digital Security Act, 2018 and called on the government to release everyone detained under the act.[26]
Bulbul worked as the CEO of Ekushey Television.[9] Bulbul was then appointed the editor-in-chief of ‘TV Today,’ a newly approved television channel.[27] He was awarded by the National Board of Revenue for being one of the highest tax-paying journalists in Bangladesh.[28] As chairman of the governing body of the Association for Social Advancement, he ordered the distribution of 550 billion BDT (4.5 billion USD) loans by the non-profit.[29] In 2023, he was appointed an independent director of the Chittagong Stock Exchange.[30]
Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, Bulbul's press accreditation was revoked by the Muhammad Yunus led interim government along with 167 journalists.[31][32] The Committee to Protect Journalists raised concerns for the revokations.[33] The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit ordered the freezing of his bank accounts along with those of nine other senior journalists, including the former president of the National Press Club.[34]