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

January 27, 2016
January 27, 2016

Bangladesh 13th most corrupt country: TI

Bangladesh slips one place to rank as the 13th most corrupt country in the world, Transparency International reveals in its global graft index. In South Asia, Bangladesh stands as the second most graft affected country.

January 11, 2016
January 11, 2016

Will Pathankot derail Indo-Pak dialogue?

No one had expected that the Modi-Sharif Lahore dialogue on December 25, 2015 would be challenged so soon.

January 5, 2016
January 5, 2016

Economist Dr Mahabub passes away

Dr Mahabub Hossain, one of the best known agricultural and development economists in Bangladesh and South Asia, passed away at a US hospital on Sunday after a battle with heart disease. He was 71.

January 2, 2016
January 2, 2016

6 killed in India air force base attack

Four gunmen and two guards are killed when unidentified militants attack an Indian Air Force base near the Pakistan border in an apparent challenge to attempts to revive a dialogue between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

December 29, 2015
December 29, 2015

110 journalists killed in 2015, says Reporters Without Borders

A total of 110 journalists are killed around the world in 2015, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Tuesday, warning that more were being deliberately targeted for their work in supposedly peaceful countries.

December 20, 2015
December 20, 2015

Bangladesh static in Human Development Index

Bangladesh’s position remains unchanged in the Human Development Index, according to the 2015 Human Development Report launched by UNDP.

November 30, 2015
November 30, 2015

Quader for borderless connectivity among BBIN

Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has batted for “borderless connectivity” with Bhutan, India and Nepal to “achieve fruit of the transport corridor” among these nations.

November 13, 2015
November 13, 2015

Bus, cargo services to connect 3 countries with Bangladesh soon: FM

Four South Asian countries -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) -- are planning to launch a new passenger bus and cargo service soon, announced Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali.

October 28, 2015
October 28, 2015

Business climate ranking: Bangladesh slips 2 notches

Bangladesh went down two positions to 174 in the international ranking of World Bank’s (WB) Ease of Doing Business 2016 report.

October 27, 2015
October 27, 2015

Google Person Finder tracks South Asia earthquake victims

Google re-launches its Person Finder tool to help identify earthquake victims in South Asia.