OWSA Contributor

Fortify Rights recommends that Bangladesh immediately close Bhasan Char, allow voluntary relocation to the mainland, grant all Rohingya freedom of movement and the right to work, and ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention. It also calls on the UN to prioritise human rights monitoring over access, and on the international community to support accountability for crimes in Myanmar.

The gulper shark controversy in the Maldives encapsulates a broader global tension: how to steward oceanic biodiversity amid competing economic interests. For a nation once celebrated as a conservation pioneer, the unfolding debate raises hard questions about identity, priorities and legacy.

As the countdown to February 12 continues, the question hanging over Bangladesh is whether the interim government can deliver the security and fairness it promised – or whether the country’s most vulnerable citizens will once again pay the price for political change.

Farm organisations have already begun voicing strong opposition. Some groups have called for nationwide protests.

Critics accuse the interim government of failing to protect minorities and civil rights, amid allegations of arbitrary arrests. The withdrawal of the CAT reservation is seen as a crucial reform, potentially aiding over 1,000 custody deaths and 677 disappearances reported during Hasina’s era.

Bangladesh's Economic Relations Division described the combined investments as a “strategic offensive” to support Bangladesh’s transition to upper-middle-income status.

Experts say the warning signs are unmistakable: without decisive intervention, Pakistan’s bears could slip irreversibly toward extinction, marking a profound loss not only for biodiversity but also for the ecological balance of the region.

Sri Lanka's “Policy for Digital Transformation of Education,” introduced in 2023, targets high-speed internet and devices in all schools by 2025. With international partnerships like UNESCO and Huawei, the nation aims for an inclusive digital economy, though balancing rapid change with safeguards remains key.