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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.
After Toppling Hasina, Protesters Want Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus to Lead Bangladesh
By Julhas Alam
A longtime opponent of Hasina, Yunus was accused of corruption by her government and tried on charges he said were motivated by vengeance.
The Slow Death of Democracy in Bangladesh Was Always Bad News for India
By Mohamed Zeeshan
Policymakers and analysts in New Delhi long believed that Sheikh Hasina's iron-fisted rule served their interests. They were wrong.
The Maldives Might Not Be Sinking After All
By Ahmed Naish
Some of its islands have lost ground to erosion, some are stable, while still others are expanding.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Resigns and Leaves Bangladesh, Ending 15-year Rule
By Julhas Alam and Krutika Pathi
The 76-year-old was elected for a fourth consecutive term in a January vote that was boycotted by her main opponents.
Renewed Anti-government Protests Leave Nearly 100 Dead in Bangladesh
By Julhas Alam
Protestors are demanding the resignation of long-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Pezeshkian Offers Continuity Amid Tensions in Iran-Pakistan Relations
By Jack Roush
By promising continuity, Iran's new president both sets the stage for future tensions and reveals the limits of presidential power in the Islamic Republic.
Pakistan: Confronting Resistance From the Peripheries
By Prashant Singh
Pakistan's peripheral regions – like Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – are highly strategic locations. They are also home to ethnic minorities who feel increasingly marginalized by the center.
The SAGAR Vision and India’s Activities in Mauritius
By Phalak Vyas
Modi wants to reaffirm India’s role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region, and Mauritius is a key part of that effort.
India’s Online Gambling Industry Is a Lottery
By Megha Aggarwal
Gambling has evolved over the years to become organized and widespread in India, thanks to its online proliferation.
Bangladesh Carnage: The Facts that Belie the Government Narrative
By Ali Riaz
Whatever way the regime and its loyalists try to spin the statistics, the fact points to the diabolic nature of those who ordered and executed the killing spree.
A New Dawn for Afghanistan’s Mes Aynak Copper Mine?
By Catherine Putz
With a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the start of work on an access road, the Taliban and China aim to get the Mes Aynak project underway again.
With Latest Crackdown on Protesters, Pakistan Continues to Make Its Balochistan Problem Worse
By Kiyya Baloch
By using force against a peaceful movement with large public support, the Pakistani government risks driving more Baloch youth toward a violent insurgency.