The younger generation of both countries is keen to forge stronger ties between these two Muslim-majority countries in the region, writes Mehjabin Bhanu for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh's Prime Minister need not visit India simply to keep relations cordial, but when engagement can advance its interests, refusing engagement becomes a cost of its own. The objective should be to preserve leverage through engagement, not to mistake rigidity for leverage.
However, the political situation has gradually begun to show currents that may move against Munir. The Supreme Court of Pakistan’s order to shift former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Munir’s arch-rival, to a private hospital and the statement by the US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor affirming that J&K is "an important part of India", reinforces the impression of classic temporariness and limited strategic relevance of Pakistan in US-Pak relations.
New Delhi’s official response has been measured, almost pointedly so, a statement that India is “looking into the implications” rather than any dramatic condemnation. That restraint is wise, and should be read as strength rather than uncertainty. India’s ties with Saudi Arabia are too economically consequential, too carefully cultivated over the past decade, for Riyadh to jeopardize them by handing Pakistan a blank check.
The vulnerability for India lies in the asymmetry of technological readiness and the aggressive sub-surface mapping being conducted by external actors, most notably China. Beijing has been able to resource its scientific research vessels, oceanographic mapping devices, and supposed civilian ocean surveys to map the bathymetry and mineral content of the Indian Ocean Region systematically.
The younger generation of both countries is keen to forge stronger ties between these two Muslim-majority countries in the region, writes Mehjabin Bhanu for South Asia Monitor
Fortunately, Pakistan never went ballistic and their reaction has averted what could have potentially led to a disastrous escalation, writes Maj Gen Jagatbir Singh (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Afghanistan owes a measure of its progress to the India cricket board and its generosity in providing to the embattled Afghan cricketers the use of ‘home’ grounds in India, writes Qaiser Mohammed Ali for South Asia Monitor
The Japan Bank for International Cooperation listed India as the most attractive investment destination, yet Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Delhi failed to generate that investment buzz, writes S. Majumder for South Asia Monitor
With its strategic position in the Indian Ocean, India has a vital role in America’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd.) for South Asia Monitor
Enhanced ties between Bangladesh and Myanmar can contribute to the growth of trade and investment relations with ASEAN and BIMSTEC countries, writes Jubeda Chowdhury for South Asia Monitor
The international community needs to appreciate that against all odds and the trauma of partition, India’s culture is composite and represents her civilizational heritage, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor
After Basil Rajapaksa's current visit, Modi is likely to fly from New Delhi to Jaffna to mark the reopening of Palaly Airport for commercial operations, writes Sugeeswara Senadhira for South Asia Monitor
One of the major lessons of the assembly election results is that a fragmented opposition cannot take on the mighty electoral might of BJP-RSS, writes Dr Ram Puniyani for South Asia Monitor
Because of Dhaka’s economic success, Saudi Arabia now perceives Bangladesh as a lucrative investment destination, writes Hussain Shazzad for South Asia Monitor
It is a no-brainer that Arvind Kejriwal’s victory speech was sharply focused on issues of governance, writes Jagdish Rattanani for South Asia Monitor
Tatmadaw, the Myanmarese junta, must be pressured to allow the Rohingya in Bangladesh to return to their homes with full dignity and civil rights, writes Kyaw Min for South Asia Monitor
The mystical traditions of South Asia transcend apparently rigid religious boundaries, write Priyanka Singh and Beena Sarwar for South Asia Monitor
In the wake of the result in Uttar Pradesh, it is clear that 2024 is for Modi to lose since there does not appear to be any comparable singular figure who can defeat him, writes Mayank Chhaya for South Asia Monitor
It is now almost a certainty that the AAP will replace the Congress as the BJP’s main challenger in Gujarat later this year, marking its emergence as a major alternative to the BJP at the national level, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor