Politics

Is a Second BNP Term in the Bag? Not So Fast.

Yes, economists may envy physicists and political scientists may envy economists. But, here, in a place as fluid and unpredictable as Bangladesh, there are moments when even the most elegant model benefits from being challenged by a journalist's imperfect, half-cooked antithesis.

The Rise of India’s Cockroach Janta Party

Gen Z is winning the internet through a combination of genuine grievance, cultural fluency, and the particular humor of people who have been told they are useless and decided to make art out of it.

America's Unfinished Business in Cuba

Whether this moment produces genuine Cuban freedom or merely a new form of managed dependency will depend entirely on whether Washington wants a democratic Cuba or simply a compliant one. Those are very different objectives. And so far, the evidence suggests Washington hasn't quite decided which it's actually after.

Realpolitik and the Fallacy of Selective Moralism

In the brutal, transactional mechanics of international survival, Pakistan does not need to plead for a seat at the diplomatic table; the raw architecture of global crises ensures that the table cannot be built without it.

The Politics of Synthesis 2.0

In one simple way, Tarique Rahman stands to be more successful than either of his parents. Neither of them could successfully, peacefully, finish their term and hand over power to the next government. Ziaur Rahman was gunned down by rogue officers. Khaleda Zia faced an implacable foe who made good on her promise of not allowing the former prime minister a moment of peace.

War by Algorithm

AI is moving faster than any of them. The question is not whether algorithms belong anywhere near the battlefield. The question is who decides where the line is -- and whether anyone is really drawing it at all.

Shanghai Spirit and Westphalia

When the world's sole superpower declares itself a pirate, it may be time to dust off a 17th-century peace treaty.

A 90-Day Report Card on the Prime Minister

All things considered, Mr. Rahman receives a “meets expectations” grade. The BNP government, as a team, receives a “needs improvement” grade, but not a failing one.

Why the Iran War Will Be Decided at Sea

For Bangladesh and other maritime-dependent nations, the lesson is clear. Security can no longer be conceived in predominantly territorial terms. It must be understood as a function of connectivity, resilience, and access -- all of which are fundamentally maritime.

Data Shows SIR Helped BJP Win Bengal

In 150 seats, more than half of West Bengal’s 294, total deletions were greater than victory margins, and BJP won 99. In 2021, it had won just 19 of these.

Bangladesh’s Border Anxiety After a BJP Victory in West Bengal

A double-engine BJP government could no longer blame West Bengal’s opposition for delays. If New Delhi and Kolkata are aligned, Bangladesh will expect results on both the Ganges and Teesta. The Teesta dispute, long blocked by Mamata Banerjee, is especially symbolic. With the Trinamool Congress out of power, Dhaka would expect movement.

The Shadow of Dhaka

West Bengal's voters may not have articulated this distinction in theoretical terms. But they felt its weight. The images from Dhaka showed them what the far end of one trajectory looks like.

The Myth of Arab Unity

The Arab world is connected, but it is not unified. Its leaders may meet under chandeliers, embrace for cameras, and issue communiqués about common destiny in a common language. But beneath that ceremonial language lie rival economies, competing ports, divergent security partnerships, dynastic anxieties, and national projects.

Give Peace a Chance. It Might Just Save the World.

If Iran is honorably invited back into the financial system its 90 million refined and energetic people, backed by huge oil wealth, will be able to make the greatest possible contribution to strengthening not only the whole world economy but specifically to saving the US currency.

The Energy Crisis and the Imminent Rise of the Multipolar World Order

The final irony of our current moment is that while the world watches the dramatic surface conflicts and the crises that dominate headlines and social media feeds, the deeper system is already adjusting, already adapting, already moving towards a different configuration.

Two Wings and a Prayer

55 years ago today, Pakistan as it existed then came to end as the Mujibnagar Government was formally formed. Two generations on, the peoples of the two countries share a common yearning for democracy. On both wings of the erstwhile Pakistan then, a prayer for democracy.