Pakistan has shifted anti-India terrorist camps into Afghanistan and there is evidence of the Taliban allowing Harkat-ul Ansar (HuA) to push terrorists from Afghanistan into Kashmir, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Engineering Threat Perceptions: TTP, ISI and Bangladesh’s Security Narrative
The sudden amplification of TTP-related narratives in Bangladesh appears strategically timed. Observers note that between August 2024 and February 2026, there were credible concerns regarding the facilitation—both overt and covert—of visits by Pakistan-linked militant actors into Bangladesh. Yet, these developments did not receive comparable international attention.
The Tragic Loop of Bangladesh Politics: Did the People Vote for Change or Replacement?
Bangladesh’s political future depends on whether the BNP can discipline its own networks before citizens conclude that elections only rotate predators. It must act against extortion, land grabbing, political violence, campus capture, and intimidation, not as public relations damage, but as regime-defining threats.
When Fish was on the Ballot: Elections 2026 Saw Spicy Debate Over Bengal's Plate, Pride and Palate
In the run-up to the Bengal elections, 2026, the fish debate did exactly that. Banerjee stitched fish to language, secularism and regional pride, painting the BJP as a Hindi-heartland force that would impose vegetarian norms. The BJP countered by showcasing its own non-vegetarian leaders from Assam and elsewhere, eating “macher jhol” on camera, and promising “Bengal’s way of life will not change.”
Lessons from a Downed Aircraft: What Iran Did to America's AWACS Fleet at Saudi Air Base
Iran did not defeat U.S. airpower in this conflict. It demonstrated, with one strike against one aircraft, what happens when force architecture built around high-value irreplaceable platforms meets an adversary that has spent years studying exactly which targets to hit. The E-3 destroyed at Prince Sultan is not primarily a story about one aircraft.
More on Spotlight
EU's new Indo-Pacific strategy is in sync with India's security perspective
The new strategy is a most welcome development for India, which had been juggling its national security interests in this vast and volatile region with support, as usual, from France, writes Amb. Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor
India-Bangladesh ties in review: Youth of both countries need to have a stake in bilateral friendship and cooperation
In this 50th year of Bangladesh’s liberation, need India remind them that in 1971 it sheltered over 10 million Bangladeshi refugees without a whimper, with hardly any foreign aid, and that all Indians kept paying for decades afterward to defray the cost to the nation?, writes Amb. Sarvajit Chakravarti (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Can India's looming power crisis impact Indian economic revival?
India’s energy problems, however, are not unique as its powerful neighbor, China, too, is experiencing serious shortages of electricity, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
South Asia's housing crisis: Yawning gap between slogans and ground realities
South Asia has an approximate population of 1.9 billion —about 23 percent of the world population — with a substantial number of slum dwellers and homeless, writes Nirupama Sekhri for South Asia Monitor
South Asian neighbors can gain by following Bangladesh’s economic growth model
According to the Center for Economic and Business Research (CIBR), a British economic research institute, Bangladesh will be the 34th largest economy by 2025, 26th by 2030 and 25th by 2035 if its economy continues to grow and develop like it is now, writes Pathik Hasan for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh megaprojects can be economic game-changers, but cost and corruption are major challenges
Bangladesh is trying to utilize megaprojects as a lever to turn the country into a lucrative investment destination, writes Kazi Mohammad Jamshed for South Asia Monitor
A message for Pakistan that Islamabad fails to see
The world has moved on, but Pakistan - and its ideological fellow traveler, the Taliban - seem to be caught in a regressive time warp from which it is unable to extricate itself, writes Tarun Basu for South Asia Monitor
Can India China-proof its telecom sector?
India’s dependence on China in the telecom sector is unlikely to reduce in the foreseeable future, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
India should explore expanding scope of 'two plus two' dialogue by including more countries, ministries to meet global challenges
While forging these dialogues, India should not forget Bangladesh as the interests of the two neighbors are increasingly converging in recent times, writes Shubham for South Asia Monitor
Pakistan’s energy sector is going through a paradigm shift: A greener electricity production portfolio is a policy imperative
The Pakistan government has set a target of generating at least 20 percent renewable energy by 2025 and at least 30 percent in the next five years, writes Haris Mushtaq for South Asia Monitor
India must come out in support of the rights of women in Afghanistan
It is in India’s strategic interest to continue its engagement with the Taliban, but withhold any official recognition, and continue to wait and watch to see if the regime’s assurances are matched by its deeds, writes Nisha Sahai Achuthan for South Asia Monitor
Engagement with Taliban provides Pakistan strategic depth, opportunity to create pan-Islamic axis up to the Gulf
Engagement with the Taliban and the latter’s return to the driver’s seat in Afghanistan allows Pakistan to bring the Afghanistan issue to the forefront of the ‘South Asia regional security architecture’, writes Anuttama Banerji for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh needs to be supported in thwarting Beijing's hegemonic designs
China’s growing investment and expanding economic activities in Bangladesh do not necessarily enable it to influence Dhaka’s foreign policy decisions, or seize infrastructure if loans are not repaid, or even potentially secure its support in a regional conflict, writes Rupak Bhattacharjee for South Asia Monitor
US policy paralysis at critical moments in region working to China’s advantage
The bond between US intelligence agency CIA and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is well known and recently declassified British documents reveal MI-6 connived with Pakistan and Taliban in Afghanistan, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor
