Tarique Rahman Oath Ceremony

Rethinking Bangladesh’s Foreign Policy: Test For a More Assertive "Bangladesh First" Doctrine

The most immediate and delicate challenge for the new government lies in its relationship with India. Following the events of August 2024 and the subsequent transitional period, the bilateral bond has faced unprecedented strain. The presence of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in India remains a friction point, yet the early signs of 2026 suggest a pragmatic "reset." Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory call to Tarique Rahman on February 13, 2026 signals New Delhi's recognition of the changed political reality. However, the path forward requires addressing deep-seated issues that have long simmered.

Why Sri Lanka Needs to Leverage Its Geography And Culture in a Post De-globalized World

Sri Lanka has a wide range of monetizable opportunities based on its strategic location and also existing domestic business landscape.  The ongoing T20 Cricket World Cup is one example. No other country in South Asia, other than Sri Lanka, will find it possible to host a match between India and Pakistan.   It is time Sri Lanka works towards leveraging its geographical location to weather global trade reset, while effectively leveraging its cultural foundation to boost its global soft power.   

Pakistan: A Cricket Defeat is Merely a Symptom of a Deeper Malaise

More than 60 percent of Pakistan’s 241.5 million population (2023) is below the age 30, with a median age of about 20. It is one of the youngest nations in the world living in a country that has remained adrift since its creation. Cricket was once a source of national confidence for young Pakistanis, but in recent years even that has vanished. The T20 defeat is just another instance of the crisis of confidence gripping the country that is also debilitating its cricket team.

AI Impact Summit: Will Artificial Intelligence Eclipse Nature’s Wisdom?

AI is neither inevitable trauma nor guaranteed transformation. It is an amplifier. The Delhi summit must therefore convey Bharat’s civilisational wisdom — the natural intelligence systems that sustained life long before algorithms. The future of nature will depend not on how intelligent our machines become, but on whether humanity remains wise enough to align them with the only system that has sustained life for billions of years. Artificial Intelligence may dominate global conversation. But Natural Intelligence remains the foundation of survival.

More on Spotlight

Understanding Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of ends and means

Gandhi said, means are foreseeable, ends are not. Thus, means can be controlled, managed and guaranteed, writes Ram Krishna Sinha for South Asia Monitor

Churails: A tale of unapologetic Pakistani women in a patriarchal society

Churails reflects the voice of Pakistani women against the repressive traditional patriarchal societal norms, writes Azeemah Saleem for South Asia Monitor

India and SAARC: Need to re-set engagement with key partners

If India is to defend its turf against China in the SAARC region, it must contribute to greater flows of intra-regional trade and investments by accepting “asymmetrical responsibilities” in opening its market to neighbours without insisting on reciprocity, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor

India’s tactics against China: A game theory perspective

While there is a common belief that the tit-for-tat game that India is playing with China is petty and self-destructive, this strategy has been proven to be pretty useful in the  current  faceoff, writes Akshat MIttal for South Asia Monitor

Japan-Bangladesh joint project brings paradigm shift in public delivery services

The Cabinet Division of Bangladesh, the executive office of the Prime Minister, has included kaizen in the annual performance agreement (APA) with the allocation of some weightage, writes Dr. Mohammad Rezaul Karim for South Asia Monitor 

Determinants in Nepal-India affiliation: Time for redefining special relationship

What is needed between the two countries is close cooperation and not a competition – this is obligatory in the Nepal-India relationship – and of course, no confrontation both at political and people-to-people relations, as this will lead to a catastrophic, writes Maj. Gen. Binoj Basnyat (retd) for South Asia Monitor

South Asia: An assessment for a post-COVID economic recovery

The dilemma of growing COVID-19 cases and reviving economic activity is crucial at this juncture which the leadership in the South Asia region will have to resolve and, herein, lies the challenge for it, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor

Does revival of Pak cinema depend upon India?

Pakistani cinema industry, even as it fears being swamped by Bollywood, realises the need for films from India that, given the common culture, resonate well with the cinegoers, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor

Corporatisation of ordnance factory board: A strategic necessity for India

In view of the unprecedented tension between the Indian Army and the Chinese Peoples’ Liberation Army on the Line of Actual Control since early May 2020, it is vitally important for ordnance factories to be able to meet large requirements of arms, ammunition, vehicles, and various equipment, writes Col Anil Bhat (retd) for South Asia Monitor

South Asia and its COVID-related maritime crisis in the Indian Ocean Region (World Maritime Day September 24)

The scourge of the COVID pandemic has radically altered the nature of the challenge cum dangers lurking in the maritime sector for South Asia as related to the Indian Ocean and the surrounding seas, writes C Uday Bhaskar for South Asia Monitor

Addressing Muslim developmental needs in India is a hand-up, not a hand-out

Although madrasas educate only between 2-4% of Muslim children and youth, they need to modernize their curriculum and move away from Islamic centric or Islamic-only education to a holistic approach that enables these students to integrate fully into Indian society, writes Frank Islam for South Asia Monitor

Is a ‘boycott’ of Indian pharma products in the EU market justifiable?

The global healthcare has benefited hugely from the Indian pharmaceutical industry, and from generic drugs that the Indian pharmaceutical industry produces for the world,  writes Sunil Prasad for South Asia Monitor 

IPL evolves to suit the pandemic times: Platform for young and talented cricketers

Now it became possible for young and talented cricketers with abilities to shoot into the top rung via the IPL. With cricket now being played increasingly across South Asia, one sees rising stars from Afghanistan and Nepal also in the IPL mix, writes Col Ravi Rajan (retd) for South Asia Monitor  

Rise of sub-conventional threat from Pakistan and Afghanistan should worry Iran

Having a porous border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, Iran should focus more on institutionalized Shia killings in these countries, not Gulf states normalizing relations with Israel, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Needed - a cycling revolution in India

COVID-19 has ushered in a global movement for cycling and India is slowly catching up to that trend with cycling to work, cycling for leisure and fitness becoming more acceptable than ever before, writes Pankaj M Munjal for South Asia Monitor