At Himal Southasian, we are aficionados of the long read, but we do understand that both attention (and time) are scarce. That's the thinking behind Himal Briefs – a new initiative that will bring crisp, informed, contextual analysis from across Southasia. As the series title suggests, we aim to keep it short (if not sweet!) It is also a nod to the Briefs section from our print magazine days, which long time readers may recall. Our aim is to capture recent developments that our longer pieces might sometimes miss.
Expect an insider's view from some former contributors (and a few new faces) on major developments as well as underreported topics from across the region, ranging from politics, to social issues, legislation, economic concerns, cultural debates, the environment, and media and the public sphere. We hope Himal Briefs makes it to your reading lists.
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Bangladesh is going through a silent turmoil. As elections near in late 2023, the political climate is slated to face massive disruption. Although the major opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has said that they will not participate in any election under the purview of the current Election Commission, that decision may change, or they may pursue a massive movement for disruption. Awami League has continued to be in power since 2008, and it has retained power through less-than-ideal means – through suppression of opposition, jailing of BNP leaders and election manipulation. These tactics also contributed to the party's victory in the 2014 elections.