Dr. Mohmad Waseem Malla is a Research Fellow with the International Centre for Peace Studies (ICPS), New Delhi. He has a doctorate from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. He is a keen observer of the Persian Gulf and South Asia developments and China’s rising profile in the Middle East.

The Jatiya Nagorik Party (JNP)— born out of the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) movement, that steered the July 2024 uprising in Bangladesh— is seeking to break the decades-long dominance of the Awami League and BNP, and advocating for a Second Republic through constitutional reform and centrist, pluralist governance. As it navigates entrenched power structures and competing opposition forces, it faces both great promise and uncertain challenges in its quest to reshape the nation’s political future.

The fall of Bashar al-Assad's government marks a significant turning point in the Western Asia region. Assad was overthrown by a quick onslaught by opposition troops commanded by Ahmad al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, following more about 13 years of civil war and international sanctions.

Date
15-03-2023

What makes this agreement quite significant is Beijing’s willingness to shed its image of a silent power and go beyond its usual emphasis on pursuing its economic interests to not only actively encourage détente between two regional hostile powers but also but bring them on the table and get them to sign an agreement “to resume diplomatic relations between them and re-open their embassies and missions within a period not exceeding two months”.