The US and its allies will never lose sight of Afghanistan's strategic importance in a vital region, writes Saed Mansoor Sadat for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh’s Lord Ram Statue Controversy fuels Renewed Debate over Religious Freedom and Social Cohesion
The controversy surrounding the proposed Lord Ram statue has emerged at a time when the BNP government has been in office for only 100 days. Some political observers believe that certain groups may be attempting to exploit the issue to deepen existing tensions between Bangladesh and India
Foreign Funds, Civil Society Freedoms, National Security and India-US Friction
Every democracy permits foreign funding under regulated conditions. The question is whether democratic states possess adequate mechanisms to ensure transparency, accountability and protection against external influence operations, which could be against core national interests.
India's Push-In Policy on Suspected Illegal Immigrants: Need to Mitigate Human Suffering
Over the past two months, a series of alleged push-in incidents along the Bangladesh-India border has reportedly left scores of people stranded in zero-line and no-man's-land areas under difficult conditions.
From Protectorates to Partners: The US Resets Security Expectations in Asia
The central message at the Shangri-La Dialogue is that America is staying, but on new terms. It will remain the core military balancer in the Indo-Pacific, but it expects allies and partners to become serious contributors. The era of strategic free-riding is ending. The new Indo-Pacific order will increasingly be defined by those willing and able to share the burden of preserving it.
More on Geopolitics and Strategic Affairs
Crime and punishment: Is the Indian justice system impartial?
Criminal justice has its own logic at present and its discrepancies are not matching with the democratic ethos of India's secular constitution, writes Ram Puniyani for South Asia Monitor
Pakistan’s 'Aurat March': Breaking biases against women
Aurat March in Pakistan has proved to be a phenomenal success, forcing society to acknowledge women’s efforts, writes Nadra Huma Quraishi for South Asia Monitor
Danger of rapid escalation of Ukraine war: India must speak out
The ‘unforeseen’ would become a frightening reality, recalling what the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had whispered piteously: "The living will envy the dead", writes Cmde C. Uday Bhaskar (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh needs to strike a fine diplomatic balance between major powers
Bangladesh can neither ignore the US and India nor China in the light of the changing global geopolitical situation, writes Emilia Fernandez for South Asia Monitor
Ukraine crisis exposes global realities: Lessons for India
For India, an aggressive Russia does not cause concern; many here believe it to be a more reliable and effective check on China than the United States, writes Amb Dilip Sinha (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Minority persecution in Bangladesh: A distorted reality
Bangladesh is being depicted unfairly - and without evidence - as a country that discriminates against its minorities, particularly Hindus, writes Anup Sinha for South Asia Monitor
With timely decision making, Bangladesh can claim success in managing COVID-19 effects
Bangladesh settled for a humanistic approach, focusing on people and their wellbeing, taking steps to minimize infection and death rates, besides ensuring the availability of food, writes Dr. Mohammad Rezaul Karim for the South Asia Monitor
The fading joys of Basant in Pakistan
With the ban on kite flying in force, Basant, a celebration of nature and culture, may soon become a matter of the past in Pakistan, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor
Indian hijab row: Muslims should not get trapped in communal snares
With the help of pliant media, saffron powers have discredited Muslims as an obstacle to the country's development and an enemy of equality, secularism and women's rights, writes Sohail Ahmad for South Asia Monitor
Case of Goa’s liberation: Is it right to keep blaming Nehru?
There was also a proposal for a plebiscite in Goa; Nehru stood the ground that Goa’s merger with India is non-negotiable, writes Ram Puniyani for South Asia Monitor
Working for an 'Oasis of Peace' between India and Pakistan
The upcoming meeting of Indian and Pakistani Rotary Club members and others at Kartarpur this week highlights Rotarian efforts to develop an Indus Peace Park near the Kartarpur entrance writes Beena Sarwar for South Asia Monitor
Media and Islamophobia: Need for reconciliation and understanding
International communities should criminalize the intentional propagation of hatred towards a particular faith, write Monira Nazmi Jahan and Nusrat Jahan Nishat for South Asia Monitor
India’s closer engagement with UAE is a win-win situation for both
The CEPA’s larger significance is that it serves as a template for an FTA with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) whose members include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
ICJ should not give legitimacy to the Myanmarese junta in Rohingya genocide case
The junta will likely leverage the hearings to gain substantial de jure recognition as the legitimate government of Myanmar within other UN bodies and beyond, writes Parvej Siddique Bhuiyan for South Asia Monitor
