29 January 2024 — Bangladesh’s 2023 anti-hoarding law was necessary to stabilize prices. However, its effectiveness hinges on its implementation under a prime minister known for authoritarianism. The stern warning by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina – described as a democracy icon-turned-iron lady – to jail those who “play games” with food prices seemed to deflect blame to the opposition, whom she accused of instigating people to wage a movement against inflation. That this is a pretext to further crack down on her enemies may not be farfetched. (Photo: Insight Photography/shutterstock.com)

22 January 2024 — Appeals for humanitarian aid in Afghanistan have intensified as a recent U.N. report highlighted risks faced by some 100,000 children amid the country’s harsh winter and in the aftermath of massive earthquakes last December. Unfortunately, aid is contingent on the Taliban’s commitment to human rights, which does not appear forthcoming three years into their rule. With millions facing hunger and severe cold, Afghans are desperately looking to the global community for their survival. (Photo: Waheedullah Jahesh/shutterstock.com)

15 January 2024 — Millions in India breathe polluted air – a clear violation of their basic right to health. Despite being a party to international agreements recognizing clean air as a fundamental human right, the South Asian country continues to struggle with pollution and even recently topped the world’s countries with the worst indoor air pollution. This has disproportionately impacted marginalized communities as delays in sustainable practices and stricter regulations strain the people’s well-being and food security. (Photo: Amit Kg/shutterstock.com)

8 January 2024 — It doesn’t seem to end: Nepal is grappling with an unrelenting brain drain as women and youth look offshore for job opportunities as the nation battles a struggling economy. While labor remittances provide a crucial lifeline amid widespread pessimism about the country’s future, they come at a steep cost: exploitative working conditions while the loss of skilled workers dents economic growth. Prime Minister Pushpa Dahal must step up to ensure more jobs are generated and migrants are protected. (Photo: Sebastian Castelier/shutterstock.com)

20 February 2023 — Pressure from the international community and aid institutions has driven a wedge between top Taliban leaders, with some warming up to the idea of easing the ban on women and girls from participating in society. But will this finally signal the start of better gender equality in the war-torn country, or will it set advocates up for disappointment yet again. The Taliban, after all, is known to backtrack on its word. When it first ascended to power after the US’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the extremist group promised to give equal rights to women, something it has yet to see through even years later. (Photo: kursat-bayhan/shutterstock.com)

13 February 2023 — Desperate to improve its economic situation, Pakistan has recently been hiking power rates for major consumers, in line with the International Monetary Fund’s conditions for loan approval. The South Asian country and the institutional lender have been in a negotiation deadlock since November 2022. Pakistan is seeking a USD 1.2 billion loan tranche, for which the IMF is requiring economic reforms that could make the situation worse for low-income segments, according to Human Rights Watch. Rather than focus on market-oriented adjustments, both parties should instead find economic solutions that protects the most financially vulnerable. (Photo: Asianet-Pakistan/shutterstock.com)

6 February 2023 — The movement for freedom of information has gained ground in Nepal. In response to plans of keeping nearly 90 types of data secret from the public, media groups, opposition leaders, and civil society organizations rose in loud criticism, forcing the government to backtrack. The National Information Commission is also pushing to remove “secrecy” from the oath that public officials take when they assume their posts. However, while these changes bode well for transparency and access to information, their impact on democracy in Nepal remains to be seen. Photo: Venus78/shutterstock.com)

30 January 2023 — After more than two decades, the 2002 Gujarat riots that killed more than 2,000 people, mostly Muslims, continue to haunt Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. The BBC has released a documentary probing Modi’s role in these riots, titled India: The Modi Question. But India, which fell to 150th in the 2022 World Press Freedom Index, is no place for such candor discussion of controversy. The government has gone after online platforms, content creators, and even students, threatening harassment and imprisonment to whoever broadcasts the documentary. (Photo: nisargmediaproductions/shutterstock.com)

23 January 2023 — Even as it struggles to recover from recent economic crises, Sri Lanka is facing another fiscal dilemma as one of its top exports loses steam. According to industry reports, the country’s tea exports dipped to a 25-year low last 2022 due to a ban on agrochemicals that led to a fertilizer shortage, which continues to hamstring the industry. However, beyond the macroeconomic ramifications of its weakening tea trade are real people. Already suffering from low wages and difficult working conditions, thousands of plantation workers are expected to feel a tight economic squeeze due to the fraught tea market. (Photo: Mstyslav Chernov/wikimedia.org)

16 January 2023 — Social unrest surges in Bangladesh, with people flooding the streets to protest injustice and insufficient social services. Aside from trampling on human rights, especially of those who belong to ethnic minorities, the government’s failure to provide equitable access to health services have fueled widespread discontent. These existing inequalities, aggravated by the rising prices of food and fuel, have become a potent brew for the opposition to mobilize thousands to call for the prime minister’s resignation. (Photo: Sk Hasan Ali/Shutterstock.com)

9 January 2023 — Rather than give in to international pressure, the Taliban has instead worsened its oppression of women, barring them from working in humanitarian and other non-governmental agencies. For a country desperate for international recognition, humanitarian aid, and economic assistance, this recent move only further isolates Afghanistan, keeping much-needed help even further out of its reach. (Photo: PradeepGaurs/Shutterstock.com)

2 January 2023 — In Pakistan, political turmoil has always had a violent facet, disproportionately threatening the safety of journalists and activists. Now, as the situation continues to worsen due to heightened security challenges believed to emanate from Pakistani Taliban militants, even military forces and everyday civilians are in danger. According to estimates by the Pakistan Institute for Peace, between January and November 2022, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and its affiliates carried out over 150 attacks. In a country where rights violations have been a top concern, one can only hope that the government’s pursuit against the militants would not end in more atrocities against its citizens. (Photo: Shutterstock.com)

26 December 2022 — The ballooning human population has led to an unprecedented global hunger for natural resources, putting increased pressure on nature and wildlife. This is particularly true for Nepal, where, in search for places to live, people have begun encroaching into areas inhabited by wild animals which, in turn, has triggered an uptick in human-wildlife conflicts. This week, the U.N. adopted a new Global Biodiversity Framework to strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts. However, amid the perpetual challenges of funding and implementation, it remains to be seen whether the Framework will help Nepal balance human needs and environmental protection.  (Photo: Shutterstock.com)

19 December 2022 — India’s aviation industry is struggling to keep up as the country seeks to bounce back from the pandemic. In the capital of New Delhi, slow and serpentine lines at the Delhi International Airport, the country’s biggest, forced thousands of passengers to miss their flights, leaving them stranded and furious at the airport management. To cope with the volume of travelers, the government has asked airlines to deploy additional ground staff in hopes of facilitating the check-in and pre-boarding processes. But are these measures sustainable? Is this a sign that leadership sees structural weaknesses in the travel industry and is stepping up — or is this simply a one-off reaction to the year-end rush?  (Photo: arvindkv15/Shutterstock.com)

12 December 2022 — The economic and political turmoil in Sri Lanka has deteriorated livelihoods, food, and health services in the country, leaving its children hungry and malnourished and its poor even more deprived. International institutions, like the World Bank and United Nations, scramble to assist the South Asian nation through recently approved concessional financing and increased calls for humanitarian support. However, years of incompetence, corruption, and misplaced priorities by the Sri Lankan government are not so easily undone — and continue to hound the country’s most vulnerable.  (Photo: Ruwan Walpola/Shutterstock.com)

5 December 2022 — Bangladesh teeters on the edge of an environmental meltdown as it struggles with worsening air pollution and massive flooding. Driven by these twin crises and the ravages of the climate catastrophe, more than 7 million Bangladeshis have been forced into displacement, according to a recent report by the World Health Organization. To help the South Asian nation, the World Bank has approved a $250 million financing package for strengthening environmental management. However, with Bangladesh’s deep history of corruption, it remains to be seen if this loan will yield meaningful improvements for the country. (Photo: Sk Hasan Ali/Shutterstock.com)

21 November 2022 — On both sides of Pakistan’s political aisle, authorities have been known to weaponize the law to restrain and subvert press freedom. Reporters Without Borders even names the country as one of the deadliest in the world for journalists. However, recent decrees have given respite to media workers in the country. The Supreme Court, for instance, has come out with a decision that disallows the state from suspending broadcast media licenses. Meanwhile, Sindh province has established a commission whose duty is to protect journalists.  (Photo: Bilal Hafeez3249/Shutterstock.com)

14 November 2022 — Despite having some of the world’s lowest emission levels, Nepal suffers from among the worst, deadliest consequences of the climate crisis. As might be expected, the public is increasingly aware of these dire impacts and understandably concerned. But instead of working toward genuine climate justice, politicians capitalizing on widespread public frustration are making hollow promises as they gun for victory in the Nov. 20 election. At the upcoming COP27, where Nepal will have nominal participation, will the world’s most powerful — and most pollutive — countries finally go beyond the bare minimum and provide commensurate climate financial support, rather than dubious and potentially moot loans?  (Photo: Shutterstock.com)

7 November 2022 — Three years after establishing the National Clean Air Program, India continues to grapple with air pollution, a perpetual problem caused by a gap between policy declaration and concrete government action. Air in Delhi, the nation’s capital, is toxic enough to force schools to shut down. In the absence of state-backed solutions, people look for their own ways to mitigate the hazard. The rich, for example, buy expensive air purifiers. The poor, meanwhile, have no such luxury and have no choice but to live with India’s toxic fumes. (Photo: Sudarshan Jha/Shutterstock.com)

24 October 2022 — Food insecurity has always been a prime problem in Bangladesh, made worse in recent years by the planet’s certain march toward climate breakdown. But the country’s policies have remained lame and reactive, and its markets have grown increasingly dependent on agricultural import. Amid global supply chain disruptions and runaway inflation, the government is starting to push “good agricultural practice” and “farmer-friendly policies.” Whether these campaigns will end with sloganeering or translate into actual, concrete measures that will help reverse the crisis is anybody’s guess. (Photo: Mamunur Rashid/Shutterstock.com)

17 October 2022 — As part of the Taliban’s bid for international recognition, the de facto government has proposed a media and information access law. Press organizations and media outfits are hopeful the policy will address concerns over restrictions as journalists continue to grapple with often too-strict rules and the risk of retaliation. But who might such a law really serve in a country like Afghanistan, where economic difficulties, censorship, and attacks on journalists are par for the course? Will this law be the key to media freedom and protection — or a tool to tighten the muzzle? (Photo: Angel Simon/Shutterstock.com)

10 October 2022 — Pakistan’s disastrous flood showed that the dangers of climate change go beyond extreme weather conditions. Months have passed yet the raging waters that devastated communities continue to make people suffer – physically and psychologically. Many flood victims remain displaced. Without food, water, or dignified shelter, these victims are exposed to the elements and whatever sickness it brings. Just as urgent are the mental health ramifications of the crisis, leaving victims to suffer from symptoms of depression and trauma. As environmental, economic, and human toll mounts, poor nations like Pakistan are increasingly raising howls of desperation about to the overwhelming responsibility of the wealthy countries for global warming. (Photo: Asianet-Pakistan/Shutterstock.com)

3 October 2022 — As Nepal gears up for its elections in November, election authorities are grappling with new and emerging security risks. Whereas previous polls have been marred by violence and the threat of boycotts, the upcoming election will additionally have to contend with rampant online disinformation, inter-personal feuds, and intra-party conflicts. Reflecting the widespread discontent with the entrenched political parties, many voters are now rallying behind an increasing number of independent candidates, signaling hopes and dreams for better governance — and a better life. (Photo: Krish Dulal, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

26 September 2022 — With one botched crisis after another, the Modi administration’s incompetence is in full display. After its catastrophic management of the COVID-19 pandemic and complicity in religious violence across the country, India’s government is now struggling to contain the country’s inflation. Measures like rice export bans and imposing levies have largely failed. Food prices have shot up by 40-50%, leaving the country’s most poor struggling even more to put food on their tables. (Photo: Shutterstock.com)

19 September 2022 — Bangladesh is set to hold its general elections on 2023, a state affair that has always been tarnished with accusations of vote-rigging, manipulation, and intimidation of opposition leaders and their supporters. Since the country’s return to a democratic system in 1991, only the 2008 polls have been considered by many to be fair, with no egregious signs of irregularities. In an effort to restore the confidence of the people and political parties, the national election committee has made public not only the challenges they face, but also their plans to resolve the issues, before the poll season starts. (Photo: HM Shahidul Islam/Shutterstock.com)

12 September 2022 — Ravaged by war and the Taliban’s ruthlessness, thousands of Afghans now also face the aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake and floods. Meanwhile, isolated from the international community due to its atrocious human rights record, the de facto government struggles to find its footing financially, and is unable to provide aid to its people. Desperate for support, the Taliban has no other choice but to appeal to state donors — who are less than eager to engage with a brutal regime. (Photo: Michal Knitl/Shutterstock.com)

5 September 2022 — Pakistan’s poor and displaced have to deal not only with losing their homes and livelihoods to the flood, but also now with the threat of a major health crisis. Cramped in tight, often unsanitary evacuation centers, these people, including women, are now falling ill with various water-borne and other transmissible diseases. To make the most out of the situation, feminist groups have started raising awareness around menstrual hygiene, breaking down long-held taboos about the topic in the country. Meanwhile, the United Nations has called for emergency humanitarian funding for the flood victims. (Photo: Asianet-Pakistan/Shutterstock.com)

29 August 2022 — Nepal’s nurses are abuzz over their country’s recent bilateral health partnership with the U.K., which promise better-paying opportunities. For years, nurses in the South Asian nation have endured long working hours, high occupational stress and hazards, and paltry salaries. While the U.K. deal could open up much better lives for nurses and their families, it also further endangers Nepal’s weak healthcare system, already on the brink of crisis. Indeed, medical equipment and facilities throughout the country remain unused due to a lack of trained professionals. The situation is only further aggravated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the impending threat of a dengue outbreak brought about by the rainy season. (Photo: Binod Prasad Adhikari/Shutterstock.com)

22 August 2022 — Religion continues to be a fraught battlefield in India. The ruling Hindu-dominated Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has recently set its sights on the Christian community, levelling allegations of forced conversions against pastors. The sitting BJP local government of Himachal Pradesh state has recently filed a bill that, under the guise of religious freedom, bans mass conversion through force or fraud. But as with many laws meant to repress, provisions in the BJP’s bill remain vague, open to punitive interpretation and implementation. Meanwhile, the BJP itself is known to be religiously repressive, abusing its majority in government to stifle, often violently, religious minorities in India.

15 August 2022 — A dollar-pay per day, coupled with the rising inflation, is more than what Bangladesh’s tea plantation workers can take. Crushed by economic hopelessness, almost 15,000 laborers across 200 tea farms took to the streets this week, calling for a 150-percent wage hike. The massive demonstration not only laid bare the dire working conditions, but also how central but underpaid workers are for Bangladesh’s second largest cash crop. The government has since promised to uplift working conditions in tea plantations, but the protests continue. Years’ worth of hardship, after all, weigh heavier than the words of leaders who backed exploitation in the industry to begin with. (Photo: Sm Akbar Ali PJ/Shutterstock.com)

25 July 2022 — Amid the growing threat of the more infectious sub-variants of COVID-19 Omicron, Nepal and its South Asian neighbors have intensified efforts to contain the pandemic. But not all has been smooth sailing, unfortunately. Vaccination drives for children throughout the country, including the capital of Kathmandu, have stalled due to lack of syringes. High levels of vaccine hesitancy have also kept inoculation rates in Nepal meager. Though these problems are nigh-universal — they have hamstrung public health measures in other developing countries, too — these also reflect the failure of the Nepalese government to learn from its past shortcomings. (Photo: gorkhe1980/Shutterstock.com)

18 July 2022 — UNICEF has sounded the alarm on Sri Lanka, urging the international community to take notice of children’s welfare in the South Asian nation. The economic meltdown, triggered by a dangerous depletion of its foreign reserves, has led to a critical shortage of rice, lentils, milk, and other essential goods, leaving thousands starving — and dooming children to acute malnutrition and its negative impacts on growth and development. Sri Lanka, as with other countries in crises, show how easily those in power overlook the most vulnerable in times of hardship. (Photo: Natalia Davidovich / Shutterstock.com)