Hasina's visit to the Maldives is in keeping with Bangladesh's larger aspirations, writes Ozair Islam for South Asia Monitor
After the Begums: Battle For The Soul Of Bangladesh Has Just Begun
The optimistic view is that the “Twin Election” will force a compromise. The referendum provides a mandate for reform that even a BNP government cannot ignore. The “July Charter”, if ratified, creates checks on executive power that did not exist before. The students, even if they end up on the opposition benches, will form a moral pressure group that cannot be easily crushed. The cynical view is that Bangladesh is merely swapping a monopoly for a duopoly, or worse, a monopoly of a different colour.
Bangladesh Heads to Crucial Elections Amid Political Exclusion: A Divided Nation Needs Democratic Renewal
All signs point to a BNP victory. In a competitive contest without the Awami League, the BNP’s organisational depth and electoral reach make it the frontrunner. Yet victory alone may not translate into authority. The absence of the Awami League, the continued influence of Sheikh Hasina from exile, the rise of Islamist alternatives, and the central role of unelected institutions mean that any new government will inherit a fractured polity. The 2026 election may revive the BNP’s fortunes, but it will not by itself heal Bangladesh’s democratic wounds.
Crunch Point For World Cricket: Power Politics And Double Standards Unfairly Rob Bangladesh Of Participation
Ultimately, Bangladesh’s absence from the 10th edition of the T20 World Cup was the result of the BCCI’s ego and the ICC’s double standards where power politics and selective decision-making outweighed fairness and sporting integrity. Although many view the Pakistan Cricket Board’s support for Bangladesh positively, in reality it is also a strategic move to counter India for its own strategic benefit. If the match is boycotted, Bangladesh will suffer even greater financial and administrative losses.
Jaish-e-Mohammed's Female Brigade: ISI-Backed New Jihadi Units Intensify Counterterrorism Challenges in South Asia
Unlike earlier jihadist cells dominated by Pakistani nationals, this unit deliberately recruits women from Indonesia, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, and other foreign countries. Reason behind recruiting non-Pakistani nationals serves a dual purpose: it complicates attribution and shields Pakistan’s security apparatus from direct accountability. Such operational sophistication reflects ISI’s continued role not merely as a passive enabler but as an active architect of jihadist adaptation.
More on Spotlight
Need to discover alternative equitable solutions for climate change action
Fairness, sustainability and dialogue must be cornerstones of any climate change policy, not a dialogue bogged down by Westernized notions, write Nishtha Gupta and Aditya Matolli for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh’s balancing politics in the strategic Bay of Bengal
Whether Bangladesh is involved in the Indo-Pacific Strategy or Belt and Road, it must maintain peace and rule of law to reap maximum economic benefits from the Bay of Bengal, writes Pathik Hasan for South Asia Monitor
Iran-China 25-year cooperation has major regional and global implications
The China-Iran partnership scenario is not a product of coincidental political and trade decisions over the years, but rather a part of a carefully crafted policy, writes Ivaylo Valchev for South Asia Monitor
Will Pashtun nationalism become Pakistan's Achilles' heel?
Support to the Pakistan Taliban and Afghan Taliban is rebounding on Islamabad as both Talibans don’t recognize Durand Line and want Pakistan to be Sharia-ruled, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd.) for South Asia Monitor
Bravehearts of Killer Squadron: Recalling Indian Navy’s 1971 valour
The Killer Squadron traces its genesis to the 1971 war when it took part in operations that enabled the Indian Navy to dominate the Arabian Sea, crippling the Pakistan Navy, writes Col Anil Bhat (retd) for South Asia Monitor
India's outreach to Central Asia: Afghanistan factor gives it added importance
India, as also Eurasia – Russia and the Central Asian Republics (CARs) - have a common adversary in terrorism and need to make it a common goal to work on, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor
Growing income disparities in India can upset social equilibrium
How does India compare with the South Asian neighbourhood? The World Inequality Lab database indicates that regional disparities are less than India’s, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
Why winning the ‘water game’ in India requires team effort
With some 600 million Indians facing high to extreme water stress, ‘games’ offer vital insights for expanding self-governance to help people manage water more sustainably, write Ruth Meinzen-Dick and Pratiti Priyadarshini for South Asia Monitor
India-Bangladesh ties headed for a 'golden phase', with enhanced connectivity creating new opportunities
The two countries’ leaders have brought Delhi and Dhaka closer and can together bring economic prosperity to South Asia, writes Pathik Hasan for South Asia Monitor
Celebrating a unique 50-year relationship: India and Bangladesh are development partners with worrying challenges
The foremost geostrategic challenge for India vis-à-vis Bangladesh is to counter the machinations of the China-Pakistan axis, writes Amb Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty (retd) for South Asia Monitor
US has paid a heavy price for condoning the Bangladesh genocide in 1971
As a result of the Nixon-Kissinger folly that made it an accomplice of the Pakistani crimes in Bangladesh, Washington is now facing a formidable rival in China, writes Arul Louis for South Asia Monitor
Gwadar's 'Haq Do' movement has altered the region's political paradigm
The movement in Gwadar under the leadership of Maulana Hidayat Ur Rehman Baloch has attracted a massive number of people across Balochistan, especially from the Mekran region, writes Nizam Hassan for South Asia Monitor
Peace propels development in Bangladesh's once-troubled Chittagong Hill Tracts
The development of tribal people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is much better than any remote region of Bangladesh, writes Hafizur Talukdar for South Asia Monitor
Of marriages and separations across the Pakistan-India border: Visa issues keep brides and grooms apart
This is the story of Ganpat Singh from Pakistan’s Sodha Rajput community. Like him, each member of this half a million strong community has matrimonial linkages across the border in Rajasthan, India, writes Beena Sarwar for South Asia Monitor
