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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.
Evaluating the Taliban’s Economic Policies
By Gul Maqsood Sabit
The Taliban’s interim government has boasted about its economic success, but few Afghans are feeling a positive impact.
The Plight of Afghan Women Under the Taliban: No Respite in Sight
By Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
The Taliban are unleashing a legal onslaught to implement their vision for the country – for men, by men, and of men.
Fintech Partnership With Africa a Must for India to Secure Edge Over China
By Elizabeth Roche
A high-visibility event like the fourth India-Africa Summit would go a long way in injecting new vigor into ties.
Pakistan’s Transgender Community Gets a Ride-sharing Service for Safety
By Munir Ahmed
The trans community welcomed the new service, expressing hope it would reduce harassment of trans people on the road.
Breaking the Sacred: How a Student-Led Revolution Ended Hasina’s Authoritarian Rule
By Shafi Md Mostofa
By dismantling the regime’s sacrosanct narratives – of both the Hasina family and the War of Independence – students directly challenged the foundation of her authoritarianism.
Heavy Climate Toll on Bangladesh Warrants Attention and Action
By Parvez Uddin Chowdhury
The country is bounded by rapidly rising seas to its south and by overflowing rivers in its north and northeast.
Conflict in India’s Manipur Takes New Turn With Drone Attacks
By Rajeev Bhattacharyya
The drones are assembled and possibly utilized with technology borrowed from resistance groups in Myanmar.
Which Candidate Is China Likely to Back in Sri Lanka’s 2024 Presidential Election?
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Sino-Sri Lankan relations have been stronger when left-of-center parties or politicians are in power on the Indian Ocean island.
Bangladesh’s Flood Response Turns Crisis Into Cooperation
By Shafiqul Islam Shafik
Bangladesh has shown how its “engineering diplomacy” approach to managing a flood crisis could be a pathway to resilience.
After a Teenage Girl Is Killed on the Bangladesh-India Border, a War of Narratives Emerges
By Jannatul Naym Pieal
Despite a long record of border killings, India is trying to pin the blame on Bangladesh for the death of a 13-year-old girl – while also playing up anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh.
Would India Extradite Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh?
By Dewan Alif Ovi
India finds itself on a tightrope over a minefield, juggling legal commitments under its extradition treaty with Bangladesh as well as broader geopolitical and diplomatic considerations.
What’s at Stake in Sri Lanka’s First Presidential Vote Since its Economic Meltdown?
By Krishan Francis
The election is seen as a referendum on President Wickremesinghe’s rule that has overseen a fragile recovery of the economy.