OWSA Contributor

Nepal’s battle against child labour remains a complex struggle of law, tradition, and socioeconomic fragility, even as pockets of progress emerge.

On January 9, 2026, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), publicly voiced deep concerns about the country’s deteriorating security situation ahead of the polls, expressing dissatisfaction with the performance of law enforcement agencies.

A groundbreaking new report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) reveals that the region requires approximately USD 12.065 trillion from 2020 to 2050 to adequately fund climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.

One of the starkest examples is Imja Lake in Nepal’s Everest region. Until the 1960s, it was only a relatively small pool of meltwater high in the mountains.

Bangladesh ranks among the world’s most climate‑vulnerable countries while contributing less than one per cent of global GHG emissions, facing recurring climate induced disasters that damage agriculture, infrastructure and livelihoods, with annual climate finance needs estimated at over USD 26 billion, especially for adaptation and loss and damage.

The new campaign criticises the international community’s shift toward what the group calls “silence and normalization.” Despite widespread initial outrage, some countries have engaged with the Taliban on pragmatic grounds.

These signings follow recent ADB commitments totalling $730 million for power transmission and state-owned enterprise reforms, highlighting ongoing multilateral support amid Pakistan’s economic recovery efforts.

In the first quarter of 2025, Bangladesh reported only 641 malaria cases and one death – a dramatic fall from the 13,099 cases and six deaths recorded in 2024, and a far cry from the 84,690 cases and 154 fatalities seen in 2008 at the height of the country’s malaria burden.