Iran, Israel, and US War: South Asian Migrant Workers and the Need for a...
Introduction:
“It was nothing like any sound I have heard before in my life,” said Vikrant, a 28-year-old Dubai-based Indian delivery worker, recalling the thunder of explosions when Iranian drones struck the United Arab Emirates (Kumar, 2026). Fearing for his safety, he shared only his first name. Today, Vikrant’s anxiety...
SADF NEWSLETTER South Asia Weekly – On the Afghan-Pakistani Border
The Most Consequential Developments Are the Least Reported
In South Asia, the developments most likely to shape the region’s future are often the ones receiving the least international attention. While global media focuses on crises elsewhere, a volatile situation is unfolding between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with implications for regional security,...
Bridging Borders: The SAARC Solution for Migration Governance – C277
As a development and humanitarian worker, I have observed countless migrant workers working in the middle east whose stories remain unheard. Their luck and overseas life decisions are often determined by their Kafeel (single sponsor who decides the residency and employment status of migrant workers in Middle East countries)....
SADF NEWSLETTER: SADF WEEKLY | Pakistan’s Three War Fronts
Afghanistan
The fall of Kabul at the hands of the Taliban was euphorically celebrated by Pakistan. The Prime Minister of the time announced stridently that Afghans had “broken the shackles of slavery,” while the normally circumspect chief of the Pakistani military secret services went public in Kabul celebrating...
SADF NEWSLETTER: VOICES FROM THE MARGINS OF SOUTH ASIA
Image created by SADF’s Custom Chat GPT
INTRODUCTION: THE UNSEEN LIVES AMONG US
‘I’m not saying the people fighting them. I’m saying the civil population. Every single man, woman and child is not safe in Baluchistan. Every mother weeps when their child leaves the front door’
Mehran Marri, Baluchistan’s representative...
COMMENT 273 – Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Peoples is Essential for Fostering Pluralism
Indigenous peoples are one of the ongoing topics of debate in Bangladesh. Since independence, the Chittagong Hill Tracts have been in turmoil due to the failure to include the ethnicity of indigenous peoples in the constitution formed in 1972. Although an agreement was signed in 1997, the main problems...
SADF Newsletter 6 – Nepal’s Renewable Energy – a Huge, Untapped, Regional Potential
On 26.01.25, SADF held a podcast hosted by Mrs. Sushmita Chaulagain with Mr. Tim Gocher, who runs the Dolma Impact Fund. Called ‘Unlocking Green Investment: FDI in Nepal's Renewable Energy’, the podcast can be seen as an inside scoop on the practicalities of investing in Nepal.
Meant for all investors,...
SADF NEWSLETTER 5 – Call For Action to FREE SHAHRIAR KABIR
In the words of Dr. Ryhan Rashid (from our podcast on 17.01.25): ‘Let me tell you about Shahriar Kabir. Shahriar Kabir has spent his whole life fighting for a secular society, fighting for minority rights, demanding justice for genocide, fending against the rise of religious extremism in Bangladesh. But...
SADF NEWSLETTER 4 – Bangladeshi Democracy at Crossroads
On 28 December 2024, host Rayhan Rashid interviewed SADF Director Paulo Casaca about the current situation in Bangladesh. This was SADF’s third podcast.
The conversation concerned the violent power grab by the so-called ‘Students Against Discrimination movement’ in August 2024. We addressed four crucial issues: (1) the reality of Yunus’...
SADF NEWSLETTER 3 – Bangladesh’s Energy Crisis in Perspective
From our podcast on Bangladesh's Energy Crisis, a conversation with Mr. Amit Bhandari.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYW2jV_-nk0
On 07.01.25, SADF held a podcast with Mr. Amit Bhandari, moderated by Dr. Rayhan Rashid, about The Current Energy Crisis In Bangladesh. Mr Bhandari is an energy expert, with nearly two decades of experience in public policy...