If Jamaat comes to power it will likely begin with populist moves such as anti-corruption drives, predicts Ahmedur Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi writer and editor who has been living in Norway since surviving a 2015 attack. He says he fears mobilisation of religious groups to push for declaring Bangladesh an Islamic republic and enforce Sharia law. The result would be shrinking freedoms for women, curbs on cultural life, and serious threats to freedom of expression, religious minorities, and secular political and cultural spaces.
The threat from ISIS-K is real and growing. A resurgence in Pakistan would have serious implications for the broader region, including India. The danger is compounded if Pakistan once again attempts to clandestinely redirect ISIS-K towards Kashmir. What may appear as an isolated terror incident is, in fact, part of a wider pattern that demands sustained vigilance. Pakistan’s internal security instability risks creating openings for cross-border terror movements, potentially hardening new militant modules aimed at India and beyond.
The optimistic view is that the “Twin Election” will force a compromise. The referendum provides a mandate for reform that even a BNP government cannot ignore. The “July Charter”, if ratified, creates checks on executive power that did not exist before. The students, even if they end up on the opposition benches, will form a moral pressure group that cannot be easily crushed. The cynical view is that Bangladesh is merely swapping a monopoly for a duopoly, or worse, a monopoly of a different colour.
All signs point to a BNP victory. In a competitive contest without the Awami League, the BNP’s organisational depth and electoral reach make it the frontrunner. Yet victory alone may not translate into authority. The absence of the Awami League, the continued influence of Sheikh Hasina from exile, the rise of Islamist alternatives, and the central role of unelected institutions mean that any new government will inherit a fractured polity. The 2026 election may revive the BNP’s fortunes, but it will not by itself heal Bangladesh’s democratic wounds.
Yet India’s response is neither impulsive nor reactionary—it is rooted in a long tradition of strategic autonomy. From Nehru’s Cold War non-alignment to today’s “multi-alignment,” successive governments have insisted on freedom of action, refusing to let outside powers dictate India’s role in the world. This ethos, born of colonial subjugation, now guides New Delhi’s diversified diplomacy
Apart from these conspiracy theories, one fact is apparent: Digital platforms, particularly those owned by Facebook and Twitter (X), are playing a drastic role in launching, organizing and supporting socio-political movements and revolutions in South Asia where these developing countries, already marked by high-debt dependency, poverty, unemployment, poor governance, corruption, and illiteracy, are heavily reliant on international INGOs, NGOs, foreign aid, funds, and loans.
In June 2025, Sri Lanka’s DFCC Bank broke new ground as the first foreign corporation to list a green bond on India’s NSE International Exchange in GIFT City. The $8 million bond financed solar energy projects aligned with Sri Lanka’s 2030 renewables target. By securing a dual listing in Luxembourg and aligning with ICMA’s Green Bond Principles, DFCC broadened its international investor appeal and demonstrated how green finance can support debt stressed economies.
The game must be allowed allowed to find a way to restore its dignity and balance on the ground.Not only is there a need to check the unregulated commercialization but there is a need for the introduction of regulations that give bowlers a fair chance, have sporting pitches, and fair future tour programs that preserve Test cricket’s relevance.
Changing this dynamic involves rebalancing domestic narratives. In India, presenting Pakistan less as an existential threat and more as a troubled neighbour could lessen the political costs of engagement. In Pakistan, reducing the military's dominance over India policy would open space for pragmatic dialogue.
The events in Nepal and Bangladesh serve as stark warnings: the US Deep State and its Islamist partners are actively destabilizing South Asia, targeting democracies and turning vulnerable nations into vassal states. Nepal narrowly avoided disaster thanks to the courage and foresight of its army, while Bangladesh remains trapped in a jihadist nightmare.
New Delhi should not view cricket ties as appeasement but as investment in peace. By embracing cricket diplomacy, India can show moral leadership, protect its strategic interests and give millions of fans across South Asia a reason to dream of friendship rather than enmity. The ongoing Asia Cup is a good start in that direction. A few handshakes could have made it an even better start.
For India, the situation will remain volatile, as it shares a thousand-mile open border with Nepal permitting free movement of people. The coup in Nepal came as a surprise to India and Indian intelligence agencies, just like the coups in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
Muhammad Yunus may bask in the applause of Western elites, but within Bangladesh his regime is a study in failure: illegitimate, incompetent, and dangerous. Nepal, with its army’s timely intervention and youth’s surprising maturity, showed that chaos need not consume a nation. Bangladesh, under Yunus, has shown the opposite: how a nation can betray its own future when it allows passion without perspective to rule the day.
We are well on our way to sealing the ozone hole. But let us ensure that in doing so, we do not ignore the new fissures opening at our feet. The work of healing our planet is never complete—it simply evolves.Let our legacy be that we were wise enough to see the whole board, not just the move we just made. The ozone hole is being sealed, but the deal is not done. The lesson is not over. The action must continue—even in celebration.
For the Indian government, the interim Karki administration offers a valuable interlocutor who understands both the cultural and strategic sensitivities of bilateral relations. Supporting her government’s limited but crucial agenda aligns with New Delhi’s interest in maintaining regional stability, securing cross-border trade, and containing potential Chinese inroads into Nepal’s political and economic life.
The Pokhara International Airport has become emblematic of systemic failure. A 2025 parliamentary investigation uncovered Rs14 billion (USD 105 million) in corruption and irregularities, including fake payments, unauthorized tax waivers for the Chinese contractor, and disbursements for incomplete infrastructure. Yet, senior officials remain largely untouchable—even ministers accused of human trafficking.
After the overthrow of governments in the South Asian countries of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the Nepalese crisis has consequences not just for the nation of 30 million people, but for the whole region, rooted in the country’s own turbulent political history and its legacy of attempting to balance ties between India, China and Pakistan.
Nepal, one of the world’s poorest countries, struggles with the South Asian region’s lowest per capita income and an unemployment rate approaching 13 percent, according to official estimates.
Many in the Global South as well as key South Asian allies—including Nepal and Sri Lanka—are closely observing India’s approach towards macroeconomic stability. How India moves forward in the months and years to come will signal whether it emerges as a resilient regional rule-shaper or a reactive follower in the evolving financial system.
