Bangladeshi Islamists

Bangladesh's Bid to Clear a US-Wanted Terror Fugitive Raises Troubling Questions

Although the Yunus administration was replaced by an elected government in February 2026, the influence of Islamist groups, jihadist organizations, and religious extremists has reportedly remained largely unchanged. As a result, several prominent leaders of Islamist organizations and militant groups continue to gain strength.

81 Years After Hiroshima: Don't Normalize the Unthinkable

August 6 is not a day for ceremonies alone. It is a day to remember why restraint was carefully created in the first place  and to  prevent another Hiroshima - Nagasaki. A third devastation, deliberate or accidental will  take less than 43 seconds.

The Shrinking Policy Space for Small States: Lessons from Bangladesh, Implications for India

New Delhi's wariness is not really about the river, or even the defence talks in isolation. It is about what Chinese capital and now a nascent security channel, both sitting in a border-adjacent basin, imply for India's own economic and security position.

PoK Polls Expose A Deeper Faultline: Widening Gap Between Official Narratives and Ground Realities

Any further instability in the region carries security implications for both countries. Escalating unrest along an already sensitive frontier can heighten tensions and reduce the already limited space for dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad.

More on Geopolitics, Security and Strategic Affairs

International community needs to extend humanitarian assistance to Bangladesh to end lingering Rohingya crisis

Bangladesh cannot solve the Rohingya crisis alone; the international community should come forward in implementing the promised humanitarian actions and work in coordination with Bangladesh to find a durable solution to the festering problem, writes Shaikh Abdur Rahman for South Asia Monitor

Covid-19, climate and China: The connection of the three Cs

This pandemic has awakened us up to the reality that no nation is safe, whether powerful or weak, when nature unleashes its fury. However, it also presents an opportunity where no citizen of any nation is weak if they are determined to live in a better and cleaner environment, writes Dr. Prachi Aggarwal for South Asia Monitor

Bengalis in Pakistan: A neglected community crying for recognition

Pakistanis call Karachi 'Mini Bangladesh'. There are about 132 Bengali colonies in and around Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, writes Rakib Al Hasan for South Asia Monitor

For a political settlement in Afghanistan, Taliban's perception of military takeover needs to be broken

Although the Taliban has captured at least 33 district centers in the last two months, they have no capacity, manpower, and resources to run big cities. They had tried in the past and failed miserably, writes Shraddha Nand Bhatnagar for South Asia Monitor 

GCC countries projecting soft power through cricket: South Asian cricketers have vital role to play

If GCC countries other than UAE -- like Saudi Arabia and Oman  -- can emerge as important cricketing venues, their soft power appeal is likely to further get strengthened, especially vis-à-vis South Asia, writes Tridivesh Singh Maini for South Asia Monitor

Covid vaccination in India: Authorities need to reach out to vulnerable population in remote areas

The government needs to decentralize health administration by empowering local health infrastructure for a fair distribution of vaccine doses so that they penetrate hard-to-reach groups, write  Abhinav Mehrotra and Dr. Biswanath Gupta for South Asia Monitor

Can Hamid Karzai emerge as consensus choice for Afghan president?

Whether the Taliban will accept Karzai, a man with considerable charisma, distinctive and much written about capes and lambskin hat,  is still not clear. But he has struck a highly conciliatory note, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor

The Covid 19 impact: Mixed economic impact on South Asian countries

While South Asia has to grapple with deep-seated inequalities and vulnerabilities, the pandemic also provides an opportunity to find a path towards a more equitable and robust recovery, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor

Lessons from tragic barge sinking off Bombay High: Glaring omissions and inadequacies

The P 305 tragedy ought to be the catalyst for radical reforms in India's offshore support sector, writes Commander Anand B Kulkarni (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Climate change: South Asia in danger of extreme events

The implications are straightforward: With rising levels of carbon dioxide in the future, there will be stronger rains with potentially destructive outcomes in the South Asian region, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor 

A year after Galwan clash: India's stress on military modernization, strategic partnerships to counter China

India needs to deter China through a combination of its military prowess, discerning diplomatic action, and devising ways to become economically self-reliant with investment partnerships and collaborations with like-minded nations, writes Indu Saxena for South Asia Monitor

Multiple state actors' clashing interests may throw Afghanistan's future into uncertainty

China is also keen to extend the coverage of CPEC and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to Afghanistan. This expansion of China’s footprint would be a matter of huge concern for both the US and India, writes Amb Ashok Sajjanhar (retd) for South Asia Monitor

South Asian nations must formulate holistic strategies to deal with remittance fall

In 2021, there could thus actually be a drop in remittances - more so after the second wave of Covid 19, and the recent travel restrictions imposed by many countries including those in the Gulf on travelers from South Asia, write Tridivesh Singh Maini and  Karan Bidani for South Asia Monitor

As SAARC falters, BIMSTEC's seamless transport connectivity project a big step in regional economic integration

BIMSTEC gained importance and traction after progress in SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) got stalled following heightened frosty ties between India and Pakistan, writes  Ranjana Narayan for South Asia Monitor

Latest on India, Pakistan – a battle over Basmati

Although India controls two-thirds of the global Basmati market, competition between the nations has grown in recent years as Pakistan increases sales to Europe, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor