South Asia

Navigating economic crisis and political unrest: Lessons Bangladesh and Sri Lanka can share

There is much to learn from both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, two South Asian countries, as they navigate their shifting landscapes.

BOOK REVIEW: NON-FICTION / An exploration of the history and panoply of Indian Subcontinental cuisine

Review of ‘Forgotten Foods: Memories and Recipes from Muslim South Asia’ (Picador India, 2023) edited by Siobhan Lambert-Hurley, Tarana Husain Khan, and Claire Chambers

ESSAY / Begum Rokeya: A redoubtable Muslim feminist and educationist

Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was an autodidact who became a formidable champion of women’s rights and education when women in South Asia, especially Muslim women, were forced to live in subhuman conditions, almost like animals, or even worse than animals

Sunday cricket an escape for migrant workers in Lebanon

In a Beirut car park, migrant workers cheer as their teams face off in a cricket tournament, a moment of respite in crisis-hit Lebanon, where working conditions are often tough.

Bangladeshi banks’ profitability lowest in South Asia

The profitability of the banking sector in Bangladesh is the lowest in South Asia due to the prevalence of higher non-performing loans, lower efficiency, and an elevated level of costs of funds.

To be treated as equals to the West, the Global South must decolonise its minds

In an over-crowded planet, the system is inherently unstable when we attempt to resolve differences via conflict and war

Trust deficit hampering South Asian integration

Leaders must work together to ensure greater cohesion

Bangladesh's growth still lowest in South Asia: expert

Although agricultural productivity is growing in Bangladesh, its rate of progress in this regard remains the lowest among nearby countries in South Asia and beyond, according to an analyst..As per the World Development Indicators (WDI), an index comprising international statistics on globa

Interview / On weaving family, culture and place into a compelling story

Nilopar Uddin's debut novel, 'The Halfways' (HQ, 2022) takes place across London, Wales, New York, and Sylhet, and focuses on the Bangladeshi immigrant experience

May 17, 2023
May 17, 2023

Bangladesh, India share handball titles

Bangladesh youth team (under-17s) emerged champions in final beating their Indian counterparts by 46-43 goals in a nerve-wracking final

May 15, 2023
May 15, 2023

ITF U-12 tennis from Tuesday

ITF Asia Under-12 team competition – South Asia Regional Qualifying Event will be held at the Sheikh Jamal National Tennis Complex in Ramna from May 16 to 20..Hosts Bangladesh will compete against India, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka with a total of 17 boys and 11 girls taking part

May 15, 2023
May 15, 2023

Bangladesh in handball final

Hosts Bangladesh confirmed final berths in both youth and junior sections of Bangabandhu IHF Challenge Women’s Trophy after notching up back-to-back victories at Shaheed M Mansur Ali National Handball Stadium yesterday..Bangladesh’s preliminary target was to play in the final of the U-17 y

May 2, 2023
May 2, 2023

Books exploring workers’ rights in South Asia

In order to understand the background of the labour movements in South Asia or the plight of workers, here are some books to add to your reading list.

May 1, 2023
May 1, 2023

5 books to read for International Workers’ Day

Concentrating on women workers from Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Pakistan, Women and Work in South Asia also tackles the advancement of individual corporate sectors due to the involvement of women workers.

March 18, 2023
March 18, 2023

Of ‘BONOBIBI’ and music as a form of storytelling

The verses remind us that a withering, war-torn Earth can still birth new life and hopes of freedom.

February 10, 2023
February 10, 2023

These folk tales record a unique past between South Asia and Soviet Russia

The Slavic fairy tales and Soviet stories formed a significant part of the childhood memories of people who grew up in the subcontinent from the 1960s to the mid 1980s.

November 3, 2022
November 3, 2022

'Women and Work in South Asia' explores feminism through a South Asian lens

Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhary’s chapter on the trafficking of women, with a focus on India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, teases out the differences in the lived experiences of the Adivasi, Dalit, and other marginalised women. 

September 17, 2022
September 17, 2022

ULAB Literary Salon to discuss freedom of speech today

Writers of both fiction and non-fiction have come under increasing pressure and censorship across South Asia. To discuss these issues, the fifth ULAB Lit Salon brings together a diverse group of experts drawn from policy and its practice, publishing, and media.

September 12, 2022
September 12, 2022

‘Sisters In The Mirror’ deconstructs the concept of "oppressed Muslim women"

"While the book is based on academic research, I've tried to write it for the 'interested educated reader'".