Collage: Panelists at Sapan Bangladesh Country Focus webinar. Visual by Sushmita Preetha

Post-uprising Bangladesh grapples with power, inclusion, and hope; rethink of ties with India

The aspirations of Gen-Z are on the walls, calling for a more tolerant and pluralistic society, with a sense of justice. "All political parties have heard that and understand that the newer generation are the most important voting bank at this moment. They don’t believe in the binary we have lived in for such a long time."

The changing state of Pakistani politics, for better or for worse

Today in Pakistan universities have proliferated and where in 2000 there were about 1 million post secondary students, in 2020 there were nearly 5 million and they have expectations, and they are also more political. But it is also the 30 and 40 year olds, generations of Pakistanis who are frustrated with the lifestyle of the rich and corrupt, and of a military they increasingly see in a similar light.

Pollution blows with the wind: South Asia's public health challenge needs harmonized regional action

In the larger South Asia context, air pollution does not follow national boundaries and therefore the solutions for all the airsheds cannot come from any one city or a country. The countries in South Asia – India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan - that share a common airshed are impacted by the transboundary pollution. More than half of the air pollution across major cities in South Asia is not local but transboundary in nature.

South Asia's climate crisis needs a regional response

Regional bodies like the SAARC, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, have the potential to foster cooperation on climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, and trans-border pollution control. However, geopolitical tensions, particularly between India and Pakistan, hinder progress.

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CPEC: A harbinger of utopia or misery for the people of Gwadar?

The success of the CPEC project, which is dubbed as a “game-changer” for the region, will be in question if the concerns of the people of Gwadar are not dealt with practically by the Pakistani establishment, writes Nizam Hassan for South Asia Monitor

Pakistan exploiting Gwadar in the garb of CPEC

Disregarding Gwadar in particular and forsaking Balochistan in general is causing a sense of alienation among the people, writes Mannan Samad for South Asia Monitor

Why Ghani failed Afghanistan: Culture of corruption, mismanagement and disrespect

Many competent and high qualified individuals refused to work in Ghani's administration and quit their jobs in frustration, writes Qudratullah Karimi for South Asia Monitor 

Work-life conflict in Covid era: Is ICT a boon or a curse?

Technological domination by developed nations emerges as a new form of colonization as developing countries are the markets, writes Dr Mohammad Rezaul Karim for South Asia Monitor 

Omicron and vaccine inequity: How to fix a broken system

Covid-19 led to disconnected efforts of governments, severely damaging global supply chain linkages, now leading to Omicron strain, writes Akshat Singh for South Asia Monitor

Ending global fishery subsidies: India leads the fight

Overfishing by highly subsidized distant water fishing fleets threaten the low-income countries that depend on fish for food sovereignty, hurting livelihoods of fisherfolk of this region like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor

Why no Bangladesh leader as chief guest at India's Republic Day yet?

It remains unclear why no leader from India’s closest neighbour Bangladesh has ever been a chief guest at the Republic Day parade, writes Nilova Roy Chaudhury for South Asia Monitor 

Pakistan's headaches multiplying: Afghan spillover, Chinese pressure compounding economic woes

Pakistan seems headed to greater instability with Taliban cadres joining ISIS-K against China for genocide against Muslims in Xinjiang, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd.) for South Asia Monitor

Post-Glasgow, India should become a leader in the green energy drive

By becoming a leader in the green energy movement now, India can reap economic and climate change benefits for the nation and its citizens in the future, writes Frank F Islam for South Asia Monitor 

Playing with fire: Communal flames in India pose a national threat

It is a sad picture of India of the 21st century that communal fires have erupted in states as far apart as Tripura and Maharashtra, writes Jagdish Rattanani for South Asia Monitor 

Why Sri Lanka and Bangladesh need a FTA

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh must sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and, if needed, a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to boost trade and connectivity, writes Pathik Hasan for South Asia Monitor 

Why a strategic turnaround by Modi on the farm laws

The Modi government in India has repealed farm laws as it does not want to pay a political price in coming state elections, writes Jagdish Rattanani for South Asia Monitor 

How bad is Afghanistan’s economy? Recipe for a failed state

Extractive institutions ensured that the limited gains of growth in Afghanistan were cornered by political elites like warlords, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor

The maritime dimension of the India-Pakistan conflict

With geopolitical rivalry in the Indian Ocean Region intensifying, China and Turkey are exploiting Pakistan’s troubled relations with India to push forward their own strategic interests, writes Niranjan Marjani for South Asia Monitor 

Beijing’s Asian solidarity is a China-dominated Asia

The Indian foreign minister’s statement still does not convey the strength that a bully like China would appreciate, writes Lt Gen Prakash Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor