Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)

After giving a clean chit on human rights, US should lift sanctions against Bangladesh's RAB

Bangladesh still has a terrorism problem and cross-border drug cartels pose a significant threat to its national security. And the elite force remains one of the important agencies to curb terrorism and narcotics control. 

Need to understand the invisible economics of nature

The reason we are losing nature boils down, in my mind, to one basic problem: our inability to perceive the difference between public benefits and private profits.

Bangladesh has a resilient economy, will not collapse like Pakistan; is streets ahead of it in all-round development

Pakistan will never catch up with Bangladesh in the race for economic development. The GDP growth rate of Bangladesh increased gradually to 8.13 percent in the fiscal year 2018-19. In 2020-22, the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war slowed down the growth rate of Bangladesh, but it was much higher than that of Pakistan and the growth rate is estimated to exceed 6.5 percent in the fiscal year 2022-23.

S. Jaishankar and George Soros: Politically at odds, but both speak up for the Global South

Another result of Jaishankar’s active advocacy for the Global South is the recently held “Voices of Global South Summit” which was hosted by India. Jaishankar led the summit with participation from 120 developing countries.

More on Perspective

Indian Navy’s all-woman aircrew creates history

Over the years, women officers in the Indian armed forces have begun notching various types of achievements

Welfare spending is not freebie culture

It must be understood that welfare spending is essential to partly redress the widening inequality in Indian society

Ameliorate plight of cross-border prisoners: Joint appeal by South Asian organizations

Release prisoners on completion of jail term, decriminalise inadvertent border crossings, especially for fisherfolk and minors

Misuse of Indian Army uniforms has dangerous consequences: Army’s distinctiveness must remain paramount

Uncontrolled proliferation of the existing combat uniform has led to many cases of breach of security of military establishments and personnel and, while it has been a cause of concern, not enough action has been initiated

Save the children: Millions of children victims of acute malnutrition, hunger and diseases in Afghanistan; girls shut out of education

The country is already one of the worst places in the world to be a child, And, in the past year, the situation has become grimmer because of crippling poverty, violence, and drought, according to UNICEF.

Militants, separatists better than opposition: Imran Khan's remark shows Pakistan's deteriorating democracy

His remarks came days after some media reports indicated that the Pakistan Army could try to facilitate a dialogue or deal between Khan and the ruling coalition to create a consensus on early elections, which remains Khan's primary demand, writes Shraddha Nand Bhatnagar for South Asia Monitor

Pakistan’s ruling coalition dealt yet another blow, its legitimacy in crisis

The decision to oust Imran Khan ultimately allowed him to hijack the anti-establishment tag in his favour. Khan’s repeated reference to the government as the “imported government” and to the military as “neutrals” further reinforced his perception as a popular civilian leader

India's 15th President Droupadi Murmu, hailing from the tribal community, says she embodies dreams of the country's poor

In that sense, her choice by the dispensation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, otherwise seen as an autocratic leader who has been accused of undermining many of India's democratic institutions, is seen as nothing sort of revolutionary, both by the standard of the country's conservative political and social norms

Why is India resilient to oil volatility despite overdependence on imports?

In India over 75 per cent of electricity is generated from coal-based thermal plants. Oil accounts for less than 2 percent of electric power, writes S. Majumder for South Asia Monitor

South Asia does not value its manhours: Change working hours

The simplest solution will be to change working hours by advancing it to 0700 hours and ending the workday at 1530 hours, so that the entire working hours are during daylight hours, writes Amb Sarvajit Chakravarti (retd) for South Asia Monitor

China, India woo Nepal’s political parties ahead of general elections

Under no circumstances would New Delhi like to see a break in the recent momentum in bilateral relations generated through increased economic and developmental cooperation, even if there is a change of the government in Kathmandu later this year, writes Shraddha Nand Bhatnagar for South Asia Monitor

Pakistan gets breathing space with IMF deal, but will it bite the bullet of structural reforms?

For Pakistan's political elites, it has become a cycle of securing loans from allies to fund its ever-ballooning deficit and again approaching the IMF when funds dry up, writes Shraddha Nand Bhatnagar for South Asia Monitor

With rising global food costs, first I2U2 projects to tackle food insecurity in South Asia and Middle East

The I2U2 will work in six areas – water, energy, transport, space, health, and food security – combining the expertise and the resources of the four nations, Modi said

Selfies in bedrooms, swimming in pool: Protestors in Sri Lanka explore besieged presidential palace

A short video, which went viral on social media, showed people searching for leftover food in the kitchen. 
Perspective

Taliban summarily executed over a hundred suspected ISIS militants, says HRW; Taliban says ‘baseless’ as fears of internecine war intensify

The bodies recovered by the residents showed evidence of torture and brutal executions, including some with missing limbs and ropes around their necks. Others had their head beheaded or slit throats, according to the report

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