Bangladesh has two such neighbors - India and China - who are both trying to establish their prominence on their shared boundaries while also trying to get a powerful grip over South Asia, writes Tasmiah Nuhiya Ahmed 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
Erosion of American global power: Reshuffling of the deck holds significance for China, India (Part 1 of two-part series)
The reshuffling of the deck internationally is taking place, and it will be interesting to watch it play out, and especially how India, and other South Asian countries, maneuver through the geostrategic maze, writes Lt Gen P R Kumar (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Rajapaksa win will impact on Sri Lankan polity, India ties
India must try and upgrade its ties with Sri Lanka to the level of strategic partnership, writes Pranay Kumar Shome for South Asia Monitor
Role of governors and speakers in political crises: Will India's constitutional guardians rise above partisan politics?
During the last 25 years both these so-called high constitutional offices have repeatedly come under judicial scrutiny and invited adverse comments from the Indian courts, writes Vinod Aggarwal for South Asia Monitor
Israel’s recognition by UAE is a game-changer: Pakistan-China moves need watching
More Gulf States inking peace with Israel will upset Chinese plans to upstage Saudi Arabia’s position in the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and replace it with Turkey, using Pakistan as the handle, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor
India's National Education Policy: More hope than hype
What the Indian government has put forward is a grand vision and policy framework. It reflects the government’s aspirations as to where it would like to see learning, education, teaching, and research, writes Amit Dasgupta for South Asia Monitor
Nepal urgently needs mechanism for compliance of court orders
The non-compliance of court orders would not only lower the public confidence on the judiciary in Nepal, but it will also pose threats to judicial credibility and rule of law, writes Jivesh Jha for South Asia Monitor
South Asia: Finding trade options to boost regional economic ties
South Asian nations would see a bilateral advantage in establishing trade and economic relationships with each other and the formal association of economic cooperation - SAARC- which they have set up would gain strength by giving each other more trade access and tariff concessions to their goods and services, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor
Education policy: Why is RSS running scared of English
It is clear that in the subcontinent, colonialism is a convenient bogey for the anti-English lobby, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor
What the Kamala Harris nomination means for the US and ties with India
For the kind of person she has shown to be in the little time she has shot into prominence, Senator Harris will be a leader in her own right pushing for the national interests of America, not of any other country, writes Dr. Sridhar Krishnaswami for South Asia Monitor
Agriculture sector in Pakistan: An orphaned child of the government
In the pandemic period while the Pakistan government is providing temporary relief to many sectors in the country why is this key area of agriculture being ignored, writes Muhammad Abbas Khaskheli for South Asia Monitor
Quad needs to be a more binding arrangement to deter China
While Pacific and South China Sea are important, the Indian Ocean remains fundamental for India, writes Lt. Gen (Dr) Yash Malhotra (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Indian needs to develop a strong strategic culture
India has major power ambitions. A strong strategic culture must be developed to guide India to fulfill such ambitions, writes Aneek Chatterjee for South Asia Monitor
Rajapaksas should erase impression that it is family rule in Sri Lanka
The Rajapaksas have entertained several projects with Chinese support and money, which is bound to cost Sri Lanka its sovereignty dearly in the coming years, if corrective steps are not taken, writes N.S.Venkataraman for South Asia Monitor
It is time for India to change the narrative with China
It is high time the Chinese political and military leadership are made to realise that chronic hegemonism and doggedness in constantly trying to crawl and clutch Indian territories are not going to work anymore and that the LAC must be clarified, writes Anil Bhat for South Asia Monitor
