The pandemic has been a blow to countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan as all of them receive billions of dollars annually through remittances of migrant workers abroad
India establishes a tentative diplomatic presence in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
The move isn’t a recognition of the Taliban regime which remains internationally isolated. The emphasis on people-people and civilizational connections underscores New Delhi’s attempt to retain its soft power in the country
The clock is ticking for Pakistan to secure an IMF deal
From withdrawing the fuel subsidies, hiking electricity tariffs and reducing expenditure to increasing tax rates, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government has gone all out at the expense of its own political capital to get the IMF programme running
Nepal in a cleft stick: Another US programme stirs domestic politics with Beijing watching
Notwithstanding the Deuba’s government push to strengthen ties with the US, Nepal is still far from signing any security pact with it. Further, China, despite suffering a relative pushback in Nepal, is unlikely to take such a deal kindly
Amid ruling party infighting, a former Maldivian president waits in the wings
If Yameen returns to power in the Maldives, it would have repercussions on the present close strategic ties with India
More on Perspective
From cleaning plates to featuring on Forbes – the fairy tale rise of a Bangladeshi American
Beginning as a teenager clearing tables and plates at an eatery, 30-year-old Bangladeshi American Nabeel Alamgir has featured on a Forbes list running an online delivery service that saw revenues grow seven times higher in 2020 despite the killer Covid-19 pandemic
The tale of the obscure takin, Bhutan’s national animal
Have you ever seen a takin? Chances are an overwhelming majority of people will meet the poser with a baffled look
An American petroleum engineer in love with his adopted home Bangladesh
If you chance to visit Meherpur – a remote village in Bangladesh – you may come across a lanky American national in local attire who has made the country his home for the past 12 years
Modi, Afghan envoy and the 'fragrance' of 'brotherly' India-Afghanistan ties
It is common for doctors and surgeons working in India’s National Capital Region to get Afghan patients
Maldives beckons India’s glamour and affluent set once more
Ending a two-month ban on travelers from South Asian nations following the surge in coronavirus infection in the region, Maldives is to open its borders to these countries from July 15
Law must be tempered by justice: CJI Ramana’s observations will restore Indians’ faith in higher judiciary
The Chief Justice of India (CJI), N.V. Ramana, struck a resounding note about the interpretation of the understanding of law per se, when he observed that “It can be used not only to render justice, it can also be used to justify oppression.”
Female genital mutilation: Controversial tweet reignites debate in the Maldives
A tweet by a university professor in the Maldives, detailing the benefits (sic) of female genital mutilation (FGM) - a regressive socio-religious practice where the clitoris of a female is removed physically for non-medical reasons-- has sparked controversy in the Indian Ocean archipelago, with many calling for banning the professor from using social media platform
Pakistan's culture wars: Liberal-conservative faceoff over PM Imran Khan's alleged sexist remarks
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, once known as a "ladies' man", continues to draw flak over comments perceived as sexist, but party’s women leaders have sprung to his defense calling him a "symbol of women's empowerment"
Sad plight of Afghan refugee children in Pakistan
Pakistan hosts around 2.8 million Afghan refugees, the second biggest refugee population after Syrians in Turkey
Bright Bangladeshi business graduates now head multinationals, leading big brands
There was a time when multinational companies and big brands used to only employ foreign nationals to lead the organization in Bangladesh
Nepali Army Inc. - from catering to education
The Nepali Army’s foray into the education sector for running a course in agriculture for the public has drawn criticism with observers saying there has to be a line drawn on what the defense forces should and should not do
Containing Covid: Need for global vaccination effort
Even as the Covid pandemic numbers are declining in India, there is growing concern that new mutations of the virus – particularly the Delta variant, with its super-spreader qualities, could soon pose a global challenge later in the year
'Hidden agenda' behind low Christian and miniority numbers in Pakistan?
Pakistan’s Christian community leaders have voiced their doubt about the results of the sixth population and housing census-2017 about the population of minorities in the country
Lockdown woes: Child marriage, sexual violence on rise in Nepal
The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of humans in unprecedented ways
