GEOFFREY MACDONALD | BANGLADESH’s streets have again erupted with political violence. In early July, a university student protest began over Bangladesh’s job quota system that disproportionately benefits the descendants of Bangladesh’s 1971 liberation war fighters, which many students view as unfair and outdated. Early last week, peaceful protests turned violent as police and ruling party…
Read moreLOOKEAST REPORT | POLICE and security officials in Bangladesh fired bullets and tear gas at protesters and banned all gatherings in the capital on Friday, as internet and mobile services were cut off after days of deadly clashes over the allocation of government jobs. The protests, which began weeks ago but escalated sharply on Monday,…
Read moreDR MANAS DAS | SOME say it is an anachronism. To some others it is a mere fancy project. A considerable few are not sure about the future of this renovated legacy and they fume at the brouhaha over it. But not many, in their senses, can dispute the glamour and pride associated with the…
Read moreLOOKEAST REPORT | INDIA and Bangladesh moved to bolster their defense relationship and signed agreements for expanding cooperation in maritime security, ocean economy, space, and telecommunication sectors, as New Delhi tries to present itself as a regional power. The agreements were signed during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India, the first foreign leader…
Read moreDR APARNA PANDE | INDIA’S diplomatic influence has grown significantly through 2023, attracting interest from countries worldwide looking to strengthen economic and strategic bonds with the South Asian nation. However, relations with its closest neighbors remain conflict–ridden and problematic. While its western neighbor Pakistan often captures international attention, its eastern neighbor, Myanmar (formerly Burma), is…
Read moreASHLEY SOUTH | ANTI-REGIME forces in Myanmar have made remarkable gains over the past six months, taking control of at least 400 army bases and 50 towns across the country through coordinated attacks. The State Administrative Council (SAC), as the military regime calls itself, is no longer able to function effectively. Chairman Min Aung Hlaing,…
Read moreLOOKEAST REPORT | HIGHLIGHTING the strong rapport with India compared to China, Bangladesh foreign minister Hasan Mahmud emphasised on Thursday that New Delhi is geographically closer to Dhaka than Beijing. This insight came when he was asked about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s preferences for her next trip to neighbouring countries. Mahmud also mentioned that Prime…
Read moreLOOKEAST REPORT | THE Arakan Army is fighting with the objective of uprooting the military dictatorship in Myanmar. After the end of the military dictatorship, the ethnic groups in each region will decide for themselves on how to build their own future, said a spokesperson of the United League of Arakan (ULA) or Arakan Army….
Read moreLOOKEAST REPORT | THE Assam government is ready to hold talks with the hardliner ULFA (Independent) and doors for negotiations with its chief Paresh Baruah are open, an Assam minister said in the state Assembly during point of order. The Barua–led faction has remained outside the ambit of negotiations even as a peace pact has…
Read moreLOOKEAST REPORT | WHEN cargo vessel MV-ITT Lion sailed into Sittwe port in Myanmar last May, having left Kolkata five days earlier, it marked an important milestone for India in its long–drawn quest for alternative routes connecting it to its northeast, even beyond to Southeast Asia. For, the docking of the cargo vessel heralded the…
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LOOKEAST REPORT | THERE is huge potential for entrepreneurship in solar energy but businesspersons in eastern India are not yet… Read more…
Bangladeshi Suspected Operatives In Indian Cover
SPECIAL INVESTIGATION | SUBJECT – I SADIKA Jannth Choudhury a resident of Tulagram Part 2, Sonai Mukh in Cachar district… Read more…
