Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s outreach to India ‘a good beginning’ for easing strained ties

16 Feb 2026 - 6:00PM

China Conference: Southeast Asia

Bangladesh PM-to-be celebrates landslide win, thanks protesters

Prime minister-in-waiting Tarique Rahman dedicated his victory to those who ‘sacrificed for democracy’ after the first polls since a deadly 2024 uprising.

14 Feb 2026 - 7:21PM

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairman Tarique Rahman (right) after addressing a press conference in Dhaka on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Diplomacy

Bangladesh’s BNP set to balance ties with powers to avoid crossing ‘red line’

The party will focus on economic growth after the election while fostering cordial ties with India, Pakistan, China and the US, analysts say.

13 Feb 2026 - 7:08PM

Fosun Health to build first overseas hospitals in Indonesia amid global push

The Chinese healthcare group is also exploring opportunities to work with local distributors to sell its products in Indonesia.

11 Feb 2026 - 7:11PM

Bangladesh’s political parties campaign over revolution’s legacy

The centrist Bangladesh Nationalist Party is the front-runner, rivalling the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami and the student uprising-founded National Citizen party.

9 Feb 2026 - 11:32PM

Supporters of the Jamaat-e-Islami party attend a rally on the final day of campaigning in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Monday. Photo: AFP

Outcry in Bangladesh over politician’s call to curb women in workforce

The proposal has sparked concerns that it would damage the country’s vital garment sector, which is dominated by female workers.

8 Feb 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

Video | Can Bangladesh’s student movement win an election?

The student-led National Citizen Party has joined an electoral alliance with the Islamist Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party.

8 Feb 2026 - 10:00AM

India’s trade blitz seeks to keep afloat a sinking global order

‘Jolted out of its slumber’ by US tariffs, New Delhi is aggressively diversifying trade alliances to act as a bridge in a polarised world.

10 Feb 2026 - 8:54PM

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (centre) with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (right) and European Council President Antonio Costa at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on January 27. Photo: European Council/dpa

Pakistan

Pakistan bats away India match but stays in T20 World Cup

India and Pakistan agreed last year to play at neutral venues when either country is hosting an ICC event.

2 Feb 2026 - 9:52AM

Pakistani players celebrate winning the series and the third T20 international cricket match between Pakistan and Australia in Lahore on Sunday. Photo: EPA

Belt and Road Initiative

China to step up investment in Nepal’s hydropower sector: Nepalese official

China has ‘already proposed some projects’ in Nepal, as it looks to tap the country’s huge hydropower resources and sell power to India.

31 Jan 2026 - 10:30AMvideocam

Not cricket? Political sticky wicket forces Bangladesh out of T20 World Cup

Bangladesh’s national election on February 12 has brought tensions among the South Asian neighbours to the forefront.

29 Jan 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

Bangladeshi student leaders ousted Hasina. Now their political future is unsure

The party born of protests that toppled Sheikh Hasina now finds itself overshadowed by a resurgent Jamaat-e-Islami.

20 Jan 2026 - 5:17PMvideocam

Members of the National Citizen Party during a rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in May 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE

Why India is losing ground over Bangladesh and Myanmar to regional rivals

Pakistan and China have been drawing closer to Bangladesh and Myanmar in areas such as defence and trade at India’s expense, analysts say.

16 Jan 2026 - 6:35PMvideocam

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets then Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina before a meeting in New Delhi on June 22, 2024. Photo: AP

Pakistan

Pakistan’s arms deals cleared for take-off as orders soar for JF-17 jets

The jets, co-produced with China, proved their worth during the India-Pakistan tensions, when they destroyed an S-400 air defence system.

16 Jan 2026 - 11:12AMvideocam

United States

US halts visas for 75 countries indefinitely; China not on the list

Trump administration pauses immigrant visa processing from January 21, affecting applicants worldwide while exempting key visa categories.

15 Jan 2026 - 3:43AM

India-Bangladesh talks over Ganges waters may turn murky over politics, UN pact

Bangladesh’s election, Hasina’s presence in India and Dhaka’s signing of the UN water convention could complicate the 1996 Ganges agreement.

13 Jan 2026 - 8:15AMvideocam

A boy plays with a football on the banks of the Ganges river in Varanasi, India. Photo: AFP

Asian Angle | Bangladesh needs ‘structural’ change, but how will it get there?

As Bangladesh heads into elections next year, it must tread the challenge of political transition with more care and thoughtfulness.

3 Jan 2026 - 4:00PM

‘Clear advantage’: why return of Zia’s son may influence Bangladesh’s election

The death of ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia may have boosted voter support for her son Tarique Rahman, who is contesting in the election.

31 Dec 2025 - 6:53PM

Khaleda Zia

Video | Former Bangladesh leader Khaleda Zia dies

The 80-year-old was a dominant figure in Dhaka’s turbulent power struggles and had vowed to run in next year’s election.

30 Dec 2025 - 6:08PM

Sheikh Hasina

Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia dies after prolonged illness

Despite her ill health, 80-year-old Zia, a dominant figure in Dhaka’s turbulent power struggles, had vowed to run in next year’s election.

30 Dec 2025 - 6:08PMvideocam

Bangladesh’s former prime minister Khaleda Zia at a Dhaka rally in 2016. Photo: AFP

Will Tarique Rahman’s return to Bangladesh ease tensions, restore stability?

Rahman could help consolidate the BNP’s position as the dominant electoral force, while tempering a volatile political climate, analysts say.

29 Dec 2025 - 6:50PMvideocam

Diplomacy

Letters | China’s Latin America policy paper speaks language of multipolarity

Readers discuss why Beijing’s outreach to the region should not be seen as a challenge to Washington, the HK$2 subsidised transport fare for the elderly, and Hong Kong’s New Year countdown.

29 Dec 2025 - 11:30AM

Myanmar

Stay or go? Rohingya see no way out of predicament as Myanmar heads to poll

Myanmar’s phased election, set to start on Sunday, is likely to be steered by the same leaders responsible for driving the Rohingya out.

26 Dec 2025 - 5:05PMvideocam

A boat with Rohingya refugees attempts to enter Malaysia from Langkawi in this photo released on January 4. Photo: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency/AP

Aspiring Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman welcomed home after 17 years abroad

The political heavyweight is to lead the BNP through an election after ex-premier Sheikh Hasina’s exit following a student-led uprising.

25 Dec 2025 - 5:46PMvideocam

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman waves to crowds from a vehicle after his arrival in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

India’s partial visa suspension signals unease over Bangladesh’s recent unrest

India halted visa services from its Chittagong mission after violent protests, underscoring its concern over security and stability.

23 Dec 2025 - 11:41AMvideocam