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A BANGLADESHI LASH-UP WITH THE PRC...
On July 12th, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina concluded a notable visit to Beijing, elevating relations between Dhaka and Beijing to the level of a "comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership." The trip resulted in the signing of 28 agreements, primarily focusing on trade and investment. Facing economic challenges including a heavy debt burden and dwindling foreign currency reserves, Dhaka seeks to secure Chinese investment, aiming to bring in $20 billion in new loans during the visit. China's financial support for Bangladesh, along with its active role in the nation's infrastructure and defense sectors, is indicative of Beijing's growing influence in South Asia. However, Sheikh Hasina's recent visits to both India and China - and America's status as Dhaka's largest foreign investor - demonstrate Bangladesh's dexterity in managing its international relationships amid the region's intensifying great power rivalry. (Associated Press, July 10, 2024)
...AS DHAKA'S PREMIER IS SHOWN THE DOOR
Political change is afoot in Dhaka, however. Amid escalating tensions between the government and its citizens, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country on August 5, 2024. Her resignation came after weeks of violent protests, which claimed the lives of more than 300 people. In early July, Bangladeshi students began peacefully protesting the (ostensibly biased) quota system that obligated thirty percent of government jobs to families of veterans who had fought in the country's 1971 war for independence. Highlighting the poor job market and the economic pressures facing young professional in Bangladesh, the protests took a violent turn, with authorities employing tear gas and rubber bullets while issuing a shoot-on-sight curfew rule and an internet blackout. From there, the situation worsened, with protestors setting fire to government buildings and overrunning Prime Minister Hasina's residence, forcing her to flee to India via helicopter.
Since then, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been appointed the country's interim leader, triggering the 90-day countdown before elections must take place. The road to a new government, however, is already filled with obstacles as police strikes and student demands for reform complicate the way ahead. Moreover, Hasina's safe haven in India may strain relations between Delhi and a new government in Dhaka, should she stay in India a prolonged period of time. (NPR, August 7, 2024; PBS, August 7, 2024)
INDIA INTERDICTS CHEMICAL AGENT FLOWS TO PAKISTAN
On May 8th, Indian customs authorities seized a shipment of Ortho-Chloro Benzylidene Malononitrile (CS) from a Chinese vessel bound for Pakistan at the Kattupalli Port in Tamil Nadu. The 2,560 kg consignment was intercepted after being shipped by Chengdu Shichen Trading Co. Ltd. to a Rawalpindi-based defense supplier. CS, the main chemical in tear gas and riot-control agents, is regulated under the Wassenaar Arrangement, which India adheres to, though China and Pakistan do not. India's increased concern over chemical weaponry proliferation, and its heightened surveillance over maritime cargo, lies in the potential for Islamabad to introduce riot-control agents in disputed border areas or internal conflict zones, particularly Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The confiscation marks the latest in a series of Indian interceptions of military and civilian-use items allegedly intended for rival Pakistan's military programs - a product of the deepening defense partnership between Beijing and Islamabad. (Times of India, July 11, 2024)
MORE INDIANS IN SPACE
India's space program has made significant strides in recent years, including landing a spacecraft on the Moon's south pole. Now, the U.S.-based Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) has announced a partnership with India for a human spaceflight program, offering ordinary citizens the ability to take flight aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket. SERA's democratized selection process involves public voting, wherein Indian citizens can register for a $2.50 fee and campaign to secure one of the six available seats on the rocket. The partnership between SERA and India not only strengthens U.S.-India collaboration in space exploration, but potentially paves the way for more inclusive participation for the country in future space missions. (Times of India, July 1, 2024)