Bangladesh has secured the third position in the South Asia region on the 2024 Global Peace Index (GPI), according to the latest report by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP).  Bangladesh ranks 93rd globally with an overall score of 2.126, reflecting a slight deterioration in peacefulness from the previous year. South Asia is the third least peaceful region globally, ahead of only the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and sub-Saharan Africa. The region experienced a minor decline in peacefulness over the past year, with four of the seven countries recording deteriorations in their overall scores. The primary driver of this decline was an increase in military expenditure as a percentage of GDP and a reduction in payments for UN peacekeeping funding since 2012. Despite these challenges, there were improvements in the Ongoing Conflict and Safety and Security domains across the region.  Read more: Bangladesh ranks 141 out of 164 on the Freedom Index Bhutan emerged as the most peaceful country in South Asia, maintaining its top position since 2011 and ranking 21st globally. Bhutan also recorded the largest increase in peacefulness in the region, improving its overall score by 2.6 percent. In contrast, Afghanistan remains the least peaceful country in the region, ranked 160th globally. Afghanistan's peacefulness deteriorated due to increases in militarization and safety and security concerns, although some indicators have shown significant improvements in recent years. India, the largest country in South Asia, improved its overall peacefulness by 1.6 percent over the past year, achieving its highest level of peacefulness since the inception of the index. The improvement was mainly due to a reduction in the intensity of internal conflicts, particularly in the border regions. The 2024 GPI, now in its 18th edition, ranks 163 independent states and territories based on their level of peacefulness, covering 99.7 percent of the world's population. The index is widely regarded as the leading measure of global peacefulness, offering a comprehensive analysis of trends in peace, its economic value, and strategies for developing peaceful societies. Read more: US says it will remain Bangladesh’s steadfast partner in Rohingya refugee response

Speakers in 14th South Asian Economic Summit (SAES) have said regional connectivity, trade cooperation and liberal customs policy are needed alongside political stability for sustainable economic growth in this region. They said that cooperation amongst the countries is more important for expanding trade and better regional economy than competition. They made the observations at the inaugural session of 14th SAES, held in a Dhaka hotel, today with the theme ‘Reframing South Asian regional cooperation in the new context of national and global dimension.’ ‘About 2.8 mln U.S. middle, high schoolers use tobacco products in 2023’, reports says Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhary MP was present at the opening session, while Planning Minister MA Mannan was the special guest. Professor Rehman Sobhan, presided over the program. Among others, Dr P Nandalal Weerasinghe, governor, central bank of Sri Lanka; Dr Ishrat Husain, former governor, state Bank of Pakistan; Ambassador Durga Bhattarai, former foreign secretary, Nepal; Professor Sachin Chaturvedi, director general, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India; Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, executive director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Pakistan; Dr, Paras Kharel, executive director, South Asian Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Nepal; Dr Dushni Weerakoon, executive director, Institute of Policy Studies of Sir Lanka (IPS); and Dr Fahmida Khatun, executive director, CPD, spoke at the function. FBCCI urges Saudi’s entrepreneurs to increase investment in Bangladesh CPD is organizing the 14th South Asian Economic Summit, where researchers from South Asian countries and the World Bank joined. The summit will end on Sunday. The papers presented at the summit stated that South Asia accounts for only 4 percent of the world's surface area, yet the region is home to nearly 1.9 billion people, about one-fourth of the global population (World Bank, 2023). South Asia also has the highest population density in the world. The majority of its population still resides in rural areas. With only 36 percent of inhabitants living in urban areas, South Asia is one of the least urbanised regions in the world (World Bank, 2023). However, over the next decades, the region is expected to have a faster urban growth and may outpace the rest of the world. Nagad distributors fly for Umrah  South Asia has been growing at a remarkable rate and has played an integral part in reducing the number of people in the world living under USD 1.9 per day. Yet, this persistent growth has slowed down within the region with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic as countries have experienced sluggish growth and a decline in per capita income. For instance, about 42 percent of the population in South Asia live under USD 3.65 per day as of 2021 (World Bank, 2022). Furthermore, most people classified as extremely poor are from South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa (Islam, Newhouse, & Yanez-Pagans, 2021). Besides, according to the 2123 Global Hunger Index (GHI), all the countries in the South Asian region, including Bangladesh, have GHI scores which are labelled as “serious” (data unavailable for Bhutan and Maldives). On the positive side, there is evidence of a declining trend compared to earlier decades.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday (May 16, 2023) called for economic cooperation among the countries in South and Southeast Asia for mutual benefits of the people in the regions.  The prime minister said this while outgoing Ambassador of Republic of Korea, Lee Jang-keun, called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban. PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting. He said that PM Hasina admired South Korea’s success in transforming into a developed country within a generation. Also Read: PM delivers 4-point recommendations at 79th UNESCAP Session She mentioned that this success inspired Bangladesh in its endeavour to steer the nation towards development and prosperity. The PM recalled her two visits to South Korea, saying that during the second visit she witnessed the amazing development there. While highly appreciating the socio-economic development of Bangladesh under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the outgoing ambassador expressed deep appreciation for extensive cooperation and hospitality demonstrated by the PM and Bangladeshis during his tenure in Bangladesh. Ambassador Lee shared with the Prime Minister recent milestone development in relations between Korea and Bangladesh in multiple areas such as trade, official development assistance, expatriate workers and investment in the year of 50th anniversary of South Korea-Bangladesh diplomatic ties in 2023, the South Korean Embassy in Dhaka said. Read More:PM Hasina: Keep up the country’s dev momentum to foil anti-national conspirators Ambassador Lee explained that the trade between South Korea and Bangladesh crossed the $3 billion mark in 2022 and $2 billion in 2021 for the first time, which was stagnant at around $1.5-1.8 billion over a decade before the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Bangladesh, we may expect that whatever comes out of the tap will be drinkable. The data, however, suggests a very grim reality. Bangladesh scored 26.90 out of 100 in the 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), meaning the local tap water is one of the most dangerous in the world. Bangladesh ranked fifth in terms of access to safe drinking water in South Asia and 128th overall. In South Asia, Bangladesh is only ahead of Nepal (25.90), India (18.30), and Pakistan (15.30). Read More: On India’s shore, rising salinity means daily water struggle Meanwhile, Sri Lanka ranked first in the region with a score of 46.70, followed by the Maldives (41.2), Bhutan (31.5), and Afghanistan (27.80). The Yale University’s EPI index looks at the quality of drinking water in 180 countries around the world based on the number of age-standardized disability-adjusted life-years lost per 100,000 persons (DALY rate) due to exposure to unsafe drinking water. All of the countries on the list are ranked by a score from 0 to 100, with a score of 100 indicating very safe drinking water and a score of 0 indicating the most unsafe. QS Supplies, one of the UK's largest independent bathroom wholesalers and retailers, has used EPI and CDC data to create a new set of data visualizations to illustrate the severity of the situation and to flag the countries where it is and is not safe to consume the tap water. Read More: Dhaka for enhanced international cooperation for advancing Water Action Agenda   The data from the CDC suggests that the water coming out of the tap in Bangladesh is “not safe to drink.” According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than a quarter of the world's population lives in water-stressed countries, and a similar number uses a drinking water source contaminated with feces. These conditions cause diarrheal diseases including cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio to spread through drinking water each year. Common chemical contaminants include lead, mercury, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics. Read More: Momen for sustainable water management for promoting global peace, stability While the large cluster of 100-rated nations in the centre of the data visualization consists entirely of European nations, the 24 countries with the lowest rating are all in Africa. Among the 180 countries, there are only 50 that the CDC lists as having drinkable tap water. The US disease control agency discourages drinking tap water in much of Asia and Latin America and in every country in Africa. According to the CDC's safety advisory on tap water, no country in South Asia has access to drinkable tap water. Read more: How to Build Dhaka as a Water Wise City

Newly appointed Ambassador of China to Bangladesh Yao Wen has described Bangladesh as the "Pearl of the Bay of Bengal, an important country in South Asia and a rapidly emerging economy." "Bangladesh is playing an irreplaceable role in regional and international affairs," said the ambassador who arrived here on Wednesday evening to serve as the 16th ambassador of China to Bangladesh. Yao thanked and paid a tribute to Bangladeshi friends from all walks of life for their kind help and stern support for the betterment of China-Bangladesh relations. He said under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the China-Bangladesh Strategic Partnership of Cooperation has been developing fast and steadily. "We keep enhancing mutual political trust, proactively synergize development strategies, promote cooperation in all fields, understand and support each other on core interests and major concerns, and jointly uphold international justice and true multilateralism," said the envoy. Acknowledging that China has embarked on a new journey toward a modern socialist country in all respects while Bangladesh is striving with no effort spared for the splendid dream of "Sonar Bangla" by following the country's Vision 2041 perspective plan, the envoy said their common goals would definitely bring about more powerful dynamics, more vigorous vitality, and an even brighter future for the bilateral relations. Yao said he is ready to work with friends from all walks of life to steadily implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, continuously explore new growth areas and write a new chapter for the Bangladesh-China Strategic Cooperative Partnership. Read more: Chinese envoy promotes Beijing's brand of international relations In his written remarks delivered upon arrival he said as the new ambassador of China to Bangladesh, he would like to keep extensive contact with all Bangladeshi friends, familiarise himself with and respond to expectations of local people towards China-Bangladesh relations, continuously explore new growth points, and let the bilateral relations better benefit the people and the community at large. "All happiness in life is the result of unswerving efforts. For a promising tomorrow of China-Bangladesh relations, let's trail the blaze, lead the way, and strive for the best," he said. Arriving at the Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, the ambassador received "warm hospitality" from protocol officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, and officials of the Chinese Embassy. Read more: China to work with IORA for global development: Envoy  

Beaches have always been the best place for enjoying vacations, leisure periods, and relaxation. It is a perfect getaway to distract the mind from worldly stresses and tensions through the heavenly combination of golden sands, gentle breeze, incessant waves, and a horizon that meets the sea at sight’s end. While every beach offers its own experience, there’s nothing quite like the ones found on the southern end of Asia. Why? Because the tropical climate of this region, combined with the temperate weather all year round, makes it the most splendid beach-going experience. Here you’ll find everything and some more. Let's take a look at the 9 top beach beaches in south Asia to plan your next getaway.  9 Most Exotic Beaches in South Asia  For this list, we will be covering the entire southern half of Asia, starting from the coral reefs of the Maldives to the steppes of Thailand and beyond. Let's get started.  Reethi beach, Fonimagoodhoo, Maldives  Kicking things off from the western coast of the island nation of Maldives. Fonimagodhoo, more commonly known as Reethi beach to the locals, is part of the Baa Atoll area of Maldives. It's one of the hundreds of small island that makes up the country of Maldives.  Read More: 10 Best Professions for Travelers

In the five decades of its independence Bangladesh achieved greater success than any of its South Asian neighbours in a plethora of social and economic indicators, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Office at Geneva Sufiur Rahman said Saturday. He was speaking at a seminar organised by the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in Geneva, marking Victory Day of the country. During the seminar, members of the Bangladeshi community discussed the successes and challenges of the current government. They highlighted the strong role that expatriate Bangladeshis could play in not only projecting Bangladesh's achievements but also stopping negative publicities against the country. Ambassador Sufiur said besides facing the challenges of LDC graduation and climate change, Bangladesh must prepare from now on to tackle different internal and external challenges hastened by geo-political reasons. Deputy Permanent Representative Sanchita Haque talked about the disappointing role of the UN during the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh during Cold War. Also, the national flag was hoisted, statements were read out, and a special prayer was offered in the morning. Before the evening seminar, a minute of silence was observed to pay tribute to the valiant martyrs of 1971. Afterwards, a documentary on the Liberation War was screened. Read more: Bangladesh’s achievements made it an example for other countries to emulate: UN

Soccer fan Gazi Jahidul Haque was struggling to hide his concern before the Argentina and Croatia World Cup semifinal at Qatar’s Lusail Stadium. Haque was watching the game in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. “This World Cup is not only important for Argentina, but also for Messi,” 35-year-old lawyer Haque said before the game, his voice barely audible as thousands behind him thronged to watch the match in front of a giant television screen at the University of Dhaka in the capital’s center. It was midnight Wednesday in Dhaka and by the time the final whistle blew with Argentina beating Croatia 3-0, Haque’s worries had long dissipated. Argentina was in the World Cup final, one win away from capturing the game’s greatest prize. The win meant Haque would get to see Messi — a player widely regarded as one of the game’s best – one more time at the World Cup. The celebrations began. Fans poured onto the streets in Dhaka waving Argentina flags and wearing the team’s sky blue and white jersey. Amid blaring trumpets, they chanted Messi’s name and hugged each other. Some held motorbike rallies. Others broke into song and dance. A young man rode on a rikshaw, his body painted in Argentinian colors. Argentina’s win was also celebrated in neighboring India, where it is cricket that is typically worshipped with near-religious fervor. Read more: 'It is the last one': Messi on World Cup 2022 In Kolkata city, where children are also named after football players from previous generations, Argentina fans marched in streets chanting songs for Messi's team. It’s a city where murals of Messi adorn the walls and Argentinian flags peek out of balconies with homes advertising their support. Argentina has a legion of passionate super fans in Bangladesh and India since the days of Maradona, one of the greatest to play the game and an icon to fans around the world. Already, thousands of them have traveled to Qatar to see Messi and his team play. Seeing its team getting massive support from the south Asian country, Argentina’s soccer federation earlier this month praised Bangladeshis on social media. “Thank you for supporting our team. You are as crazy as we are!” the federation said in a Twitter post with photos showing Bangladeshi fans wearing Argentina’s jersey. Those who aren’t in Qatar are displaying their allegiance by following the games with utmost devotion at home. In southern Kerala's coastal towns and villages, where flags of Argentina and Brazil are strung across shops, buildings and flagpoles, people have erected huge foam-board cutouts of their favorite players. Messi — and Brazil's Neymar — are the favorites. In villages, open spaces have been used for match screenings, with thousands flocking to watch the games on giant screens. On Sunday, Argentina will meet with either France or Morocco in the final. The fervor would reach its peak in India, and Aditya Shriram is waiting for a fairytale swan song for Messi. Shriram, a 33-year-old digital marketer in New Delhi, has been supporting Argentina since the 1998 World Cup. On Sunday, he will be watching the final with a group of nearly two dozen friends he grew up with playing soccer in the Indian capital. Read more: ‘To finish this way is brilliant’: Messi’s last dance, last chance for World Cup glory Shriram said Sunday’s game will have Messi play to seal his legacy, considering the greatest of all time — Pele and Maradona — have both won the World Cup, an accolade that had so far evaded the Argentinian superstar. “It’ll complete him,” Shriram said. “Unless you win the World Cup, you can’t be counted among the absolute greatest of all time.”

Describing Singapore as a "connectivity hub" for distribution of services as well as trade, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Wednesday shared the aspirations of Bangladesh to emerge as a facilitator of regional connectivity for the land locked countries and regions of South Asia.  Highlighting the need for more investment in infrastructure development, including sea ports and air ports, he sought more Singaporean investments to facilitate Bangladesh’s transition as a regional connectivity and manufacturing hub.  Minister of Transportation and Minister in Charge of Trade Relations of Singapore S Iswaran appreciated hardworking Bangladeshi workers and their contribution to their construction and other sectors. Read more: COP27: Momen thanks Egypt for focusing on "loss and damage" issue During his bilateral meeting with the Singaporean Minister, State Minister Alam said Singapore could consider intake of more skilled workers from Bangladesh especially in their health and other service sectors.  Both sides discussed how demographic dividends could be reaped with the use of advanced technology and digitization. Alam also flagged the high agricultural productivity in Bangladesh and the prospects of agro-based industries in the country, with special emphasis on the burgeoning middle-class consumers enjoying increasingly higher purchasing capacity. Read more: Dhaka, Tokyo relations to be strengthened through PM-level talks: Shahriar Alam The Singaporean Minister applauded sustained economic growth of Bangladesh under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and stressed the importance of further deepening and widening the economic relations between the two countries.  He shared Singaporean’s keenness on working in the areas of infrastructure development, energy sector, data mining and various high skilled areas such as digital connectivity and services, technology transfer for further enhancement of bilateral relations. Singapore is keen to explore the many possibilities that exist in its bilateral relations with Bangladesh and looks forward to harnessing the potentials to raise it to the next level. 

Sheikh Hasina is the longest serving prime minister of Bangladesh. She is currently serving her fourth term in the government. Her administration changed the destiny of the nation since it brought about a period of stability and inclusive growth. She is one of the most seasoned leaders in South Asia and has steadily advocated for inclusive politics for over 40 years. Hasina continues the legacy of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led the war-ravaged Bangladesh in 1972. This progressive objective, which has been dubbed the "leave no one behind" strategy locally, is in line with the UN's development goals. Hasina, who tragically lost her father and most of her family members, rose through the political ranks in an ever-evolving environment, from activist to full-fledged politician leading a coalition against a military junta to a seasoned statesman, reads a write-up published on Centre for Research and Information (CRI) website. Read: Sheikh Hasina: A legend in her own lifetime By emphasising long-term planning rather than just firefighting, the Hasina administration changed the direction of policymaking in Bangladesh for the first time in 2009. For any developing nation with low-income levels, this is a difficult decision. The wager was successful: in less than 15 years, Bangladesh's income tripled, exceeding that of its other significant South Asian neighbours, and the country's economy experienced growth that has consistently ranked among the top 10 in the world. Hasina is well known for her people-centric policies in Bangladesh. It's because she is one of the few politicians to have visited every part of the nation. Unbeknownst to many, Hasina enjoys reading a lot, especially anything with a focus on politics or statecraft. Vision 2021, Digital Bangladesh, the Delta Plan, Vision 2041, and the Social Security Strategy are a few of Hasina's noteworthy initiatives. She chose her priorities, just like every politician who takes risks. Among the top investments were those in the energy and infrastructure sectors. She drew a thin line separating the development agenda from the political clamour. Simply said, all of these policies are interrelated, with the premise being that long-term, visionary thinking is required. For instance, the nearly century-old multisectoral Delta Plan gives climate change first priority in all national fiscal decisions. Bangladesh's development is most at risk from climate change because it is a low-lying nation. Vision 2021, which was developed to raise Bangladesh to middle-income status, also calls for the universal digitalization of an antiquated governance structure and the e-connectivity of a predominately rural economy. Vision 2041 solely focuses on Bangladesh's goal to become a developed, high-income economy. These policies must be implemented in a specific setting. When the Hasina administration began office, Bangladesh was faced with a number of complex issues, some of which were exclusive to Bangladesh but many of which were also experienced by other emerging nations. Political instability, infrastructural bottlenecks, inadequate energy and power supplies, low income levels, and digital disconnect were among the main issues cited by Bangladesh observers and development partners (such as the World Bank). Hasina's initiatives reduced poverty at an unprecedented rate. According to the World Bank's classification, Bangladesh transitioned from a low-income nation to a lower-middle income country in 2015. Bangladesh was scheduled to transition from a least developed country (LDC) to a developing country in 2021, as per UN criteria. Read:Special publication launched lauding PM Hasina's extraordinary leadership The determination of the Hasina administration to revive Bangladesh's economy frequently makes international news. Who wouldn't want to learn about a success story from the developing world, after all? The fact that she gave agriculture utmost priority receives less attention. From being reliant on food help, Hasina deliberately transformed Bangladesh into a food-secure nation. Nothing less than a stealthy revolution has occurred here. In Bangladesh, periodic famines were common even 30 years ago. Agriculture and poverty went hand in hand. Hasina made the audacious choice to step in. She made a research investment. According to insight, Hasina holds farmers in high regard and gives policies pertaining to the agriculture sector high priority. The Hasina administration funded agricultural research, particularly at universities and research centres with public funding. In parallel, she has kept agriculture subsidies even as subsidies were disappearing from other sectors. Hasina recognised that Bangladesh is the world's most populous nation (other than city-states). Farmland will inevitably get smaller. Efficiency and productivity are the only options. In the media, Hasina frequently appears urging common Bangladeshis to "produce anything they can, and not leave an inch of land unoccupied." An obvious illustration of how political rhetoric may reflect policy priorities. Hasina is subject to criticism and never fails to come under fire. What matters is that she remained true to her vision while taking advice from her detractors. She has shaped a "Bangladesh model" for development that academics have yet to analyse.