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The new Sri Lankan government led by President Anura Kumar Dissanayake held its first meeting with the International Monetary Fund on October 3, to discuss further debt relief. Dissanayake, who overcame voter apprehension in the country’s presidential elections held two weeks ago, now has a historic opportunity to bring Sri Lanka out of the crisis and enable a compassionate and efficient transformation.
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A decade after its launch, China’s Belt and Road Initiative has slowed down in South Asia, the result of poorly conceived projects, and irresponsible behavior from borrower and lender alike.
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The presidential election in Sri Lanka on September 21 is the country's first since its economic crisis of 2022. Dr S D Muni, Professor Emeritus at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, discusses major issues on the ballot, principal candidates in the race and their policies, long-term social and political trends, and takeaways for the Sri Lankan parliamentary elections due later this year.
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The economic agenda is the key issue in the Sri Lankan Presidential elections to be held on Sept 21. This island nation is seeking a return to prosperity through relief from onerous debt, reduced corruption, an effective bureaucracy, and constitutional and economic reforms. The five principal players in the race, however, have varied agendas that may not fulfil all of the people’s needs and desires.
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Pakistan’s latest economic data tries to paint a cheerful picture, but the economy is still in deep trouble. The main culprit is the ‘managed’ float of the Pakistani rupee, which covers for a multitude of other sins.
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Sri Lanka’s sovereign debt default in 2022 triggered the worst economic crisis in the country’s post-independence history. By mid-2024, the economy started showing signs of recovery, with a performance higher than other debt-defaulting nations and exceeded IMF expectations. The current stable path, however, is not enough. Sri Lanka needs to shift its economic trajectory from one of debt distress to sustained growth over the next few years.
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The events of August 5 turned Bangladesh from a development model to unstable entity. A variety of players have been stirring trouble in the country, from within and without. Great powers and neighbours, NGOs and the diaspora, Islamist groups and armed forces. All these are entangled in the U.S.-China geopolitical rivalry that Bangladesh seems to be caught in.
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Sheikh Hasina’s recent ouster as the Prime Minister has highlighted the deep fissures in Bangladeshi society and pushed the subcontinent into political turbulence. Amb. Rajiv Bhatia, Distinguished Fellow for Foreign Policy Studies, Gateway House, speaks about the political, economic, and security implications the crisis in Bangladesh has for Indian foreign policy and geopolitics in the neighbourhood and beyond.
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The term Global South is no less ambiguous today than when it first originated in the 1960s. This time though, it is a big tent that accommodates all non-West aspirations, from the G77 to the Non-Aligned Movement to the Third World. It is a geopolitical fact rather than a geographical demarcation whose appeal lies in its ability to get to the heart of shared priorities and goals.
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Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's forced resignation on August 5 came amidst prolonged and violent anti-government protests. Lt Gel S L Narasimhan, the Adjunct Distinguished Fellow for China and National Security Studies, Gateway House, analyzes the role of the army and external actors, and the strategic and security implications for India.