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The Pulse
South Asia is a story of promise and peril where Asia’s conflicting forces of modernity and reaction meet head on. Home to a multitude of different cultures, ethnicities, and religions, The Diplomat's regional correspondents and experts will provide the insight you need to navigate one of the world's most consequential regions.
Why India’s Electoral Bond Scheme Must Go
By Kavita Chowdhury
It was touted as a major electoral reform in poll funding. But the scheme is opaque and shrouded in secrecy.
Who Benefits From Street Politics in Bangladesh?
By Mushfique Wadud
The BNP’s decision to go for all-out street protests could backfire.
Pakistan Court Rules the Prison Trial of Former PM Imran Khan Is Illegal
By Munir Ahmed
Will the government appeal? Or will it lead to future open court proceedings?
Pakistani Crackdown on Iran Border Trade Sparks Protests in Southern Balochistan
By Mariyam Suleman Anees
Informal trade in oil and other goods, which previously provided people in border villages with income, has been halted without putting alternative means of livelihood in place.
India-Maldives Relations Enter Choppy Waters
By Sudha Ramachandran
Maldivian President Muizzu has called for the removal of Indian military personnel from the archipelago and has threatened to review agreements with India.
Operation 1027 is Changing Myanmar’s Frontier Geographies. Is India Ready?
By Angshuman Choudhury
India’s junta-focused diplomacy and lack of abiding relationships with armed groups in Myanmar have limited its response to the fluid situation in the war-torn country.
The Politics of India’s Cricket World Cup
By Jannatul Naym Pieal
Prime Minister Modi must have been disappointed by India’s loss in the final – and not just because he’s a fan.
India Reiterates that Upcoming General Election is Bangladesh’s Domestic Matter
By Snigdhendu Bhattacharya
Has the Indian foreign secretary’s remark distancing Delhi from the elections emboldened the Awami League to press ahead with its election plans?
Bangladesh’s Top Court Upholds Decision Barring Largest Islamist Party From Elections
By Julhas Alam
The Jamaat-e-Islami will not be able to contest upcoming elections. But it says it will continue to be politically active.
At Global South Summit, Modi Urges Unity ‘for the Greater Global Good’
By Sheikh Saaliq
India’s shift toward support for Israel risks putting it out of step with the developing world.
Indian Rescuers Prepare to Drill to Reach 40 Workers Trapped in a Tunnel
By Biswajeet Banerjee
A landslide in the under-construction mountain road in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand resulted in the collapse of the tunnel.
Religion and Bangladesh’s Political Parties
By Mubashar Hasan
Both the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party have Islamist allies and wear their religious identity with pride.