Issue Briefs

Fall of Hasina and Political Transition in Bangladesh: What has Happened and Why?
This Issue Brief seeks to analyse the events leading to the ouster of Hasina from power, identify the issues that brought about her fall, and the stakes for India in the evolving situation on Bangladesh.
Pakistan’s UPR National Report: Hides more Than it Reveals
Months after its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report on the human rights condition in the country was approved by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) during its 53rd Session on 30 October 2023, Pakistan continues to violate most of the agreed recommendations to alleviate the concerns of all the stakeholders and improve the rights situation in the country.
The Chabahar Port and India-Iran Agreement
On 13 May 2024, India and Iran signed a 10-year long-term contract for operation of Shahid Behesti terminal at the Chabahar port in Iran, eight years after concluding the general framework of cooperation on the Chabahar port. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in May 2015 for the development of this port by India and on 23 May 2016, the contract was executed during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Iran.


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India’s West Asian Calculus in a Multipolar World: Strategic Autonomy drives its Counter-terror Normative Ambition
Simran Rathore
India’s evolving West Asia policy reflects a balance of strategic autonomy, multi alignment, and counter terrorism leadership. By combining pragmatic energy and diaspora interests with normative activism like the CCIT, New Delhi positions itself as a responsible middle power—hedging against great power rivalry while advancing cooperative security frameworks in a multipolar world.
The Curious Case of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami 2.0: Attempts at Rebranding Do not Alter the Core
Ankita Sanyal
Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami (BJI) has aggressively worked towards a political resurgence. While attempting to rebrand as a moderate, inclusive party through minority outreach and "anti-fascist" rhetoric, BJI simultaneously engages in historical revisionism regarding the 1971 Liberation War and by aligning with other Islamist factions, the party increasingly advocates for Sharia-based governance and the eradication of "man-made" laws.
The Exile, who would be the King? Tarique Rahman and Bangladesh’s Managed Transition
Mohammed Shoaib Raza
Tarique Rahman’s homecoming signals a state-sanctioned shift in Bangladesh’s political architecture. This analysis explores how his return from exile serves to stabilise a fractured transition ahead of 2026.
Voice from Gilgit-Baltistan: Its Future Lies with India
Senge Sering
Gilgit-Baltistan remains under Pakistani occupation despite its legal accession to India in 1947. Pakistan’s demographic engineering, sectarian manipulation, and denial of local rights erode indigenous identity. Nationalists demand reinstatement of state subject rule, legislative autonomy, and reunification with India to secure cultural survival, resource control, and democratic self-determination.