Policy analysis

China has grown into one of Bangladesh’s most significant economic partners. In FY 2023–24, Bangladesh imported goods worth $16.637 billion from China, accounting for 26.4 per cent of the country’s total imports, indicating the growing demand for Chinese products.

The commitments mark a key milestone in WHO’s ongoing Investment Round, a critical drive to secure sustainable financing and strengthen the organisation’s capacity to respond to global health needs.

Retrenchment is the dominant theme on both sides. However much the West and China may wish to compete for the Global South’s affections, the constraints of their respective political economies limit their offer.

Focusing on seven dominant platforms – Uber, Lyft, Amazon Flex, DoorDash, Instacart, Favor, and Shipt – the report accuses these companies of building a business model that avoids employer responsibilities, keeps wages low, and controls workers through opaque and unpredictable algorithms.

The research, meticulously titled "Social and Economic Factors in Fertility in Maldives," delved deep into the experiences and perspectives of 479 women aged between 18 and 45, alongside valuable input from men and healthcare professionals through focused group discussions.

An overwhelming number of Sri Lankan households subsist on less than Rs. 1000 a day, or roughly Rs. 30,000 a month. These families are compelled to make impossible choices – often between food and education – leading many to defer or forgo early education for their children.

In a significant push to reform Nepal’s prison system, Minister for Home Affairs Ramesh Lekhak has vowed to transform correctional facilities across the country into "industrial villages" aimed at rehabilitation, productivity, and human rights.

The scheme has promoted the ideals of transparency and participatory democracy, with Gram Sabhas playing an active role in selecting projects and monitoring their progress.