https://bengalcouncil.org Policy briefs, expert commentary, and research from The Bengal Council — an independent think tank focused on Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. en-us Thu, 13 Aug 2026 04:06:58 GMT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80HcuZLwIeo washington-insights-water-hegemony-danilowicz Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Jon Danilowicz Dure Akram speaks with Jon Danilowicz about India's upstream position, the Indus Waters Treaty, international law, climate change, and the future of water diplomacy in South Asia. https://thedeltagram.com/politics/bangladesh-s-reform-council-hasn-t-met-once-five-months-after-the-vote-that-created-it thedeltagram-reform-council-shariful-islam Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Md Shariful Islam BNP's refusal to take a binding oath has frozen the charter process, freezing implementation of reforms the nation endorsed. https://thedeltagram.com/conversations/the-days-of-indian-primacy-in-bangladesh-are-clearly-over-jon-danilowicz-on-bangladesh-2-0 thedeltagram-indian-primacy-bangladesh-danilowicz Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Jon Danilowicz The veteran US diplomat explains why India's influence in Dhaka is fading, and who stands to benefit. https://bengalcouncil.org/policy-briefs/cotton-corridor-us-bangladesh-reciprocal-trade cotton-corridor-us-bangladesh-reciprocal-trade Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Policy Brief The Bengal Council Policy Research Team This brief assesses the U.S.-Bangladesh Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, signed on 9 February 2026. It examines Bangladesh's export economy, the substance of the obligations Dhaka accepted, the surrounding geopolitical and commercial landscape, the agreement's potential as a platform for deeper U.S.-Bangladesh partnership, and the strategic management challenges that will determine whether its benefits are realized. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/7/4/in-south-asia-america-has-stopped-asking-india-for-permission aljazeera-south-asia-america-india-permission Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazmus Sakib, Ph.D. The renaming of the US Indo-Pacific Command signals a deeper strategic shift: Washington is quietly ending the era in which India was America’s presumed subcontractor for South Asia. https://thedeltagram.com/articles/hindutva-politics-has-created-security-concerns-for-bangladesh-professor-md-shariful-islam thedeltagram-hindutva-security-concerns-shariful-islam Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Md Shariful Islam One of Dhaka's leading political scientists on Hindutva, the Teesta and why Bangladesh's foreign policy is long overdue a rethink. https://bengalcouncil.org/policy-briefs/after-the-buffer-bjp-west-bengal-bangladesh after-the-buffer-bjp-west-bengal Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Policy Brief The Bengal Council Policy Research Team The BJP's clean sweep in West Bengal removes the diplomatic buffer between New Delhi's majoritarian agenda and Bangladesh's eastern frontier. This brief assesses the structural risks across minority protection, border enforcement, water governance, trade, and exile networks—and outlines a strategic framework for Dhaka's response. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktFF-kzpOUs trtworld-sakib-uae-opec-petrodollar Sat, 02 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazmus Sakib, Ph.D. Dr. Nazmus Sakib joins TRT World to analyze the UAE's exit from OPEC and the broader implications for the petrodollar system and global energy geopolitics. https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/views/news/rethinking-counterterrorism-beyond-crackdowns-4145006 rethinking-counterterrorism Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazmul Arifeen Bangladesh must move beyond reactive crackdowns and invest in community-based counter-radicalization, digital literacy, and institutional reform to address the structural drivers of extremism. https://bengalcouncil.org/policy-briefs/bangladesh-after-february-turn-reform-corruption-democracy bangladesh-after-february-turn Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Policy Brief The Bengal Council Policy Research Team This brief assesses Bangladesh's political landscape following the February 12, 2026, parliamentary election and institutional reform referendum, outlining the immediate structural and governance challenges facing the new administration. https://www.e-ir.info/2026/03/26/opinion-bangladeshs-election-and-the-politics-of-indias-eastern-borderlands/ eir-shahid-bangladesh-india-borderlands Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Rudabeh Shahid, Ph.D. Bangladesh's February 12 election result is being actively manufactured into electoral ammunition in India's borderland states, revealing how entangled foreign electoral outcomes and domestic communal politics have become. https://www.thegeopoliticaldesk.com/bangladesh-after-elections-stability-returns-risks-rersist/ gpd-bangladesh-elections-stability Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazmus Sakib, Ph.D. Bangladesh's post-election landscape signals short-term stability, but structural risks persist. As Dhaka recalibrates after polls, investors and policymakers must weigh political consolidation, economic pressures and opposition dynamics shaping the country's trajectory in 2026 and beyond. https://southasianvoices.org/sav-qa-muhib-rahman/ sav-qa-muhib-rahman Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Muhib Rahman, Ph.D. In this Q&A with the Stimson Center's South Asian Voices, Muhib Rahman discusses the dynamics of Bangladesh's 2026 elections, the role of political parties, and the future of democratic governance. https://mediaview.aljazeera.com/video/ge1NJqlSyf aljazeera-shahid-bangladesh-transition Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Rudabeh Shahid, Ph.D. Rudabeh Shahid provides expert commentary on Al Jazeera as Tarique Rahman and cabinet are sworn in, analyzing what the political transition means for Bangladesh's democratic future. https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/02/bangladesh-election-reveals-transformed-political-landscape ch-bangladesh-election-transformed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazam Laila, Ph.D. Bangladesh's long-awaited election is being shaped by new political forces and intensified information warfare. https://counterpointbd.com/Foreign-Policy-Priorities 30 Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazmus Sakib, Ph.D. Fifty years on, Bangladesh's foreign policy has been a mirror reflecting the regime in power. Every government swore to protect sovereignty, yet invariably bent diplomacy to partisan ends. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/why-bangladeshs-elections-will-echo-far-beyond-its-borders/ bd-elections-echo-beyond-borders Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Rudabeh Shahid, Ph.D. As Bangladesh heads to the polls on February 12, the outcome will shape the political climate for elections in Nepal, India's West Bengal, and Assam—making it the linchpin of South Asia's 2026 election season. https://www.thedailystar.net/slow-reads/big-picture/news/between-compassion-and-capital-shashi-doctors-moral-world-4092396 between-compassion-capital Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Shah Mohammad Fahim An exploration of the colonial medical system's lasting influence on doctor-patient relationships through Manik Bandopadhyay's literary character, Shashi Doctor. https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/views/news/integrating-nutrition-primary-care-way-forward-prevent-disease-and-help-people-thrive-4094636 integrating-nutrition-primary-care Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Shah Mohammad Fahim Integrating nutrition into primary care can improve diagnosis, prevent disease, and transform population health in Bangladesh. https://bengalcouncil.org/policy-briefs/navigating-fragile-passage-bangladesh-transition nav-fragile-passage Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Policy Brief The Bengal Council Policy Research Team This brief analyzes the risks of political violence in the aftermath of Bangladesh's July 2024 uprising and distills the implications for the interim government, political parties, civil society, and external partners to keep the democratic transition on track. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/neither-free-nor-fair-what-myanmars-sham-elections-mean-for-the-country-and-its-neighbors/ 1 Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Rudabeh Shahid, Ph.D. Analysis of Myanmar's electoral crisis and its implications for the country and the region. https://www.saperspectives.net/with-bangladeshs-first-female-prime-ministers-passing-america-lost-a-true-friend/ 2 Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazmus Sakib, Ph.D. Reflections on the legacy of Bangladesh's first female Prime Minister and US-Bangladesh relations. https://www.saperspectives.net/ballots-and-barriers-how-international-partners-should-navigate-bangladeshs-2026-election/ 3 Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazmul Arifeen Analysis of how international partners should engage with Bangladesh's upcoming 2026 election. https://bengalcouncil.org/policy-briefs/bangladesh-crossroads-political-assassination 0 Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT Policy Brief The Bengal Council Policy Research Team Osman Hadi's murder has fused public grief with long-standing institutional fragilities, exposing Bangladesh to spoiler tactics designed to derail its first post-authoritarian vote. The following eight weeks are pivotal. https://www.chathamhouse.org/2025/11/sheikh-hasina-verdict-and-bangladeshs-upcoming-referendum-signal-transitional-moment-south ch-sheikh-hasina-verdict-referendum Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazam Laila, Ph.D. Hasina's conviction, and a referendum on a roadmap of reforms, could open the door to a new multipolar role for Bangladesh. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/south-asia/folly-indias-illiberal-hegemony 4 Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Muhib Rahman, Ph.D. An analysis of India's approach to regional influence and its implications for neighboring democracies. https://southasianvoices.org/pol-m-bd-n-student-elections-islam-bangladesh-10-29-2025/ 5 Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazmus Sakib, Ph.D. Analyzing the implications of Jamaat's electoral success on Bangladeshi university campuses. https://warontherocks.com/2025/10/explaining-trumps-surprising-turn-to-pakistan/ 6 Wed, 15 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Muhib Rahman, Ph.D. Analysis of the Trump administration's unexpected diplomatic pivot toward Pakistan. https://www.newagebd.net/post/opinion/273798/a-likely-disaster-for-bangladesh newagebd-pr-disaster-bangladesh Sat, 23 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazmus Sakib, Ph.D. Proportional representation might appear to cure Bangladesh's winner-take-all distortions, yet in a patronage-soaked, institutionally weak democracy, it would almost certainly splinter the parliament into quarrelling factions, paralyse policymaking and invite both foreign meddling and military 'rescues.' https://thediplomat.com/2025/07/flying-coffins-and-broken-systems-the-f-7-disaster-in-bangladesh/ 7 Sun, 20 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Muhib Rahman, Ph.D. Examining the F-7 fighter jet crashes in Bangladesh and the systemic issues in defense procurement. https://www.chathamhouse.org/2025/06/bangladesh-helping-create-geopolitical-shift-south-asia ch-bangladesh-geopolitical-shift Fri, 13 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazam Laila, Ph.D. Under Muhammad Yunus, Dhaka is turning towards Beijing and other new partners, helping to redraw regional alliances. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/silk-road-rivalries/bangladeshs-quiet-pivot-to-china 8 Wed, 15 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Muhib Rahman, Ph.D. Analysis of Bangladesh's evolving strategic relationship with China. https://www.tbsnews.net/thoughts/beyond-medical-care-case-declaring-health-constitutional-right-bangladesh-1063371 9 Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Shah Mohammad Fahim Making the case for enshrining health as a constitutional right in Bangladesh. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/silk-road-rivalries/donald-trumps-price-tag-on-the-us-india-relationship 10 Fri, 20 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Muhib Rahman, Ph.D. Examining the transactional approach to U.S.-India relations and its regional implications. https://www.tbsnews.net/thoughts/reforming-healthcare-bangladesh-what-prioritise-1046221 11 Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Shah Mohammad Fahim Analysis of healthcare reform priorities for Bangladesh's health system. https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/views/news/the-nation-we-envision-five-bangladeshi-students-the-us-share-their-dreams-3956116 12 Tue, 10 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Shah Mohammad Fahim Perspectives from Bangladeshi students in the US on their vision for Bangladesh's future. https://counterpointbd.com/the-first-real-choice-in-15-years 13 Wed, 20 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Muneeba Fakhrul Analysis of Bangladesh's political landscape and the significance of genuine electoral choice. https://counterpointbd.com/The-UN-Response 14 Fri, 15 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Muneeba Fakhrul Examining the United Nations' response to developments in Bangladesh. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/how-south-asias-swing-states-navigate-india-pakistan-tensions/ 15 Wed, 25 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Rudabeh Shahid, Ph.D. Analysis of how smaller South Asian nations navigate the India-Pakistan rivalry. https://www.saperspectives.net/chinese-soft-power-deficit-in-bangladesh/ 16 Tue, 20 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazmus Sakib, Ph.D. Examining the limitations of China's soft power influence in Bangladesh. https://www.thedailystar.net/life-living/news/non-resident-bangladeshi-voices-the-anti-discrimination-student-movement-3682941 17 Thu, 15 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Shamimul Islam Perspectives from the Bangladeshi diaspora on the student anti-discrimination movement. https://www.trtworld.com/article/76b09b656868 18 Thu, 25 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazmus Sakib, Ph.D. Expert analysis on India's regional influence and its effects on neighboring countries. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/experts-react/experts-react-sheikh-hasina-has-been-sentenced-to-death-in-absentia-what-does-this-mean-for-bangladeshs-future 19 Thu, 20 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Rudabeh Shahid, Ph.D. Analysis of the implications of the death sentence for Bangladesh's political future. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/insight-impact/in-the-news/shahid-in-australian-journal-of-maritime-ocean-affairs-navigating-the-troubled-waters-maritimization-of-bangladeshs-foreign-policy/ 20 Wed, 15 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Rudabeh Shahid, Ph.D. Examining the maritime dimensions of Bangladesh's evolving foreign policy. https://theinsighta.com/p/why-jaishankars-meeting-was-a-win 21 Wed, 10 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazmus Sakib, Ph.D. Analysis of the diplomatic significance of India's foreign minister meeting with Tarique Rahman. https://chintaa.com/index.php/chinta/showArchive2/55/english 22 Fri, 15 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Shah Mohammad Fahim Exploring health as a fundamental right and its policy implications. https://www.e-ir.info/2022/08/28/should-there-be-a-new-grouping-for-the-non-nuclear-five-of-south-asia/ 23 Mon, 15 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Nazmus Sakib, Ph.D. Exploring the potential for a new regional grouping among South Asia's non-nuclear states. https://adarsha.bd/shop/kolpo-daktar-200#attribute_values=340 24 Wed, 15 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Shah Mohammad Fahim Reflections on healthcare and medical practice in Bangladesh. https://thediplomat.com/2020/11/neither-free-nor-fair-what-myanmars-sham-elections-mean-for-the-country/ 25 Sun, 15 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Rudabeh Shahid, Ph.D. Analysis of Myanmar's electoral crisis and its implications for democracy. https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/views/human-rights/news/silent-crisis-1621615 26 Mon, 10 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT Commentary Shah Mohammad Fahim Examining the silent crisis in Bangladesh's healthcare system.