South Asia Daily Brief
The Indian Neighbourhood Today
News & Views from the Indian Neighbourhood
16 March 2026, Monday
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NIAS South Asia Brief Team 16 March 2026
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16 MARCH 2026, MONDAY Nepal: Migrant workers remain uncertain but hopeful after the recent elections Nepal: Climate change continues to be an issue, especially for the new government Nepal (Opinion): Madhukar Upadhya, "Climate Change: A pressing challenge for Nepal’s new government," The Kathmandu Post, 16 March 2026 Nepal (Opinion): Bhawani Bhatta, "After voting, Nepali migrant workers head back to India, urge leaders to deliver on pledges," The Kathmandu Post, 16 March 2026 Bangladesh (Opinion): Mostafiz Uddin, “Why Bangladesh needs a brand reset,” The Daily Star, 16 March 2026 https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/views/rmg-notes/news/why-bangladesh-needs-brand-reset-4129686 Bangladesh (Opinion): Kamrul Hassan Mamun, “Power, Risk, readiness: The real test of Bangladesh’s nuclear moment,” The Daily Star, 16 March 2026 Myanmar: Ex-Generals elected speakers of Parliament Myanmar (Opinion): Aung Zaw, “Scam Cities, Smuggling and State Collapse: The Inevitable Toll of Military Rule,” Irrawaddy, 16 March 2026 Sri Lanka: Arrival of 35,000 MT of fuel shipments to support national reserves Sri Lanka (Opinion): Dr Boniface Perera, “Sri Lanka’s economic vulnerability to Middle East Conflict,” Daily Mirror, 16 March 2026 Sri Lanka (Opinion): KKS Perera, “Peace Is Not a Slogan: Indian Ocean’s Dangerous Moment,” Daily Mirror, 16 March https://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/Peace-Is-Not-a-Slogan-Indian-Oceans-Dangerous-Moment/231-335386 Iran: UAE Fujairah port attack results in large fire Iran: Europe looks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz Pakistan: Islamabad launches overnight strikes as Afghan mortar fire kills four in KP. Islamabad rejects China’s offer to mediate; over 300 illegal Afghan nationals arrested in Swabi district Pakistan: Six militants killed in Kohat counterterrorism operation Pakistan: Islamabad to formulate strategy for exporting surplus food items to Gulf states Pakistan (Opinion): Huma Yusuf, “Cost of conflict,” Dawn, 16 March 2026 https://www.dawn.com/news/1982540/cost-of-conflict Pakistan (Editorial): “Looking for safety,” Dawn, 16 March 2026
Aishal Yousuf, Akshath K, Kirsten Wilfred Coelho, Sreemaya Nair, Tanvi Thara Harendra Jha, and Vishal Manish M
Nepal: World Bank predicts delays in national pride projects and recommends a tighter project pipeline
On 16 March, The Kathmandu Post, citing a World Bank report, reported that multiple infrastructure projects nationwide are facing delays. According to the report, Nepal approves far too many poorly prepared projects, which spreads resources too thin given current funding levels. Completing the ongoing 17 national pride projects, which were started years or decades ago, would take 41 more years. The World Bank has recommended a tighter project pipeline where only investment-ready projects enter the budget and new approvals wait until existing commitments are funded, faster land acquisition and environmental clearances through digital records, standardised valuation, and streamlined approvals before projects are included in the budget and finally, more credible cash forecasts, protection of capital budgets from mid-year cuts, and fund releases aligned with realistic work plans.
On 16 March, The Kathmandu Post reported that a significant number of migrant workers who returned to Nepal to vote in the recent House of Representatives (HoR) elections are again leaving via the Gaddachauki border in Kanchanpur to resume work in India. Many say they fulfilled their democratic duty but now hope newly elected leaders will honour their promises to create jobs. Currently, approximately 200–250 workers cross the checkpoint daily to work in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and major cities such as Mumbai and Bengaluru. Many migrants who work in agriculture, construction, or security services lack formal documentation, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. Despite voting in hope, migrants say they remain uncertain whether their living conditions will improve.
On 16 March, The Kathmandu Post, reported that although the Rastriya Swatantra Party pledges several strategies to address climate change, they still demand a great deal of transparency and clarity. Nepal had previously pioneered climate budget tagging back in 2012, but successive governments failed to sustain and strengthen the initiative, reducing it to a routine exercise, highlighting the need for the RSP-led government to fully integrate climate-resilient planning from national to subnational levels to better address growing climate impacts. Additionally, for countries like Nepal, the ability to directly influence climate outcomes remains limited because most impacts stem from global temperature rise driven by worldwide emissions. Addressing these challenges requires sustained international cooperation to reduce emissions and stabilise global temperatures. However, current trends suggest the opposite as temperatures continue to rise while political will for decisive climate action weakens.
"While we express concern over the rapidly escalating threats of climate change, the world at large has entered an uncertain period. Decades’ worth of global efforts and progress in curbing emissions not only slowed because of geopolitical headwinds but were increasingly compounded by deepening global polarisation. This sidelined the needs of developing countries like Nepal by prioritising security over climate cooperation, diverting resources that dampen prospects of finance pledges."
https://kathmandupost.com/columns/2026/03/16/climate-change-a-pressing-challenge-for-nepal-s-new-government
"As the dust of the House of Representatives elections begins to settle, the Gaddachauki border point in Kanchanpur district is once again witnessing a familiar and sombre exodus. Thousands of Nepali migrant workers, who had returned home to exercise their franchise, are packing their bags and heading back to India to earn a living. Their message to the newly elected representatives is clear—do not forget the promises made on the campaign trail."
For decades, Bangladesh's international image has been shaped by a narrow, increasingly outdated narrative. Far too often, the country has been reduced to being a low-cost sourcing destination, associated mainly with labour exploitation, industrial accidents, and relentless price pressure. A country’s perception affects investment decisions, buyer confidence, tourism, diplomatic influence, and the willingness of international companies to make long-term commitments. Today, Bangladesh is home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of green RMG factories. Bangladesh should be positioned as the world’s most serious platform for responsible, scalable apparel manufacturing. A new national identity can rest on five pillars: competitive manufacturing, verified sustainability, young talent, renewable energy transition, and reliability.
Beginning on April 7, fuel loading is scheduled to start at the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, marking the transition from construction to operation. At this stage, uranium-enriched fuel rods are inserted into the reactor core for the first time, initiating a nuclear chain reaction that generates heat to produce electricity. Fuel loading is one of the most delicate and sensitive phases in the life of a nuclear reactor, and from this point onward, the reactor becomes an active nuclear system. Incidents such as the Chernobyl disaster and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster illustrate how rare but catastrophic failures in nuclear systems can reshape societies and environments for decades. The fuel loading at Rooppur is a historic step for Bangladesh and signals the country's entry into a highly advanced technological domain.
On 16 March, Irrawaddy reported that Myanmar’s military-backed parliament convened in Naypyitaw for its first session since the 2021 coup, appointing two senior figures from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) to lead the Lower House. USDP Chairman Khin Yi, a retired brigadier general and former police chief under the junta, was elected speaker, while Maung Maung Ohn, previously the junta’s information minister, became deputy speaker. The parliament emerged from military-organised elections held in December and January that excluded major opposition parties, with a quarter of seats reserved for the military under the 2008 Constitution. The move comes despite the landslide 2020 election victory of the National League for Democracy, whose leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, were detained after the coup. Meanwhile, the shadow National Unity Government dismissed the new parliament as illegitimate and accused the junta of seeking international recognition.
By 2026, Myanmar had become the world’s leading opium producer and a regional hub for so-called “scam cities”, vast criminal compounds along the borders with Thailand and China. The collapse of the legal labour market has facilitated widespread labour trafficking, with criminal syndicates mostly run by Chinese gangs forcing hundreds of thousands of individuals from Asia, Africa and other regions into complex online scams and cryptocurrency fraud schemes. Analysts estimate that annual scam revenues run into the billions of dollars and have become a primary source of funding for the junta. Since 2021, armed resistance has persisted, and the civil war has spread nationwide, resulting in the regime losing control over significant portions of the country. The coup has brought nothing but deprivation to nearly all.
On 16 March, the Daily Mirror reported that a fuel shipment carrying 35,000 metric tonnes of petroleum products arrived in Sri Lanka. The unloading operations are scheduled to begin on the same day. According to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), the cargo includes 18,000 MT of diesel, 17,000 MT of petrol, and 3,000 MT of super diesel, intended to support domestic fuel supplies for critical functions. The shipment's arrival is part of ongoing government efforts to maintain adequate reserves amid concerns that geopolitical tensions and disruptions in global energy markets could affect fuel availability for some time.
Unless the government moves beyond superficial press releases and begins implementing a wartime economic strategy, it is not a matter of if a 2022-style crisis will return, but when. The public rally against the government is already being fueled by the rising costs of today; it will be ignited by the lack of vision for tomorrow. For Sri Lanka, the “cost-reflective pricing” mechanism recently implemented means that every dollar increase in global oil is passed directly to a public already pushed to the brink. On March 10, 2026, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation was forced to hike fuel prices despite government assurances of “adequate stocks” just days prior
“The Indian Ocean has been declared a zone of peace on successive occasions. It is time the world’s major powers started acting like they believe it. The Indian Ocean, long considered a relatively stable maritime domain, found itself at the heart of a geopolitical storm. Striking targets in open ocean waters does not defeat an enemy. It unsettles an entire region.”
On 16 March, CNBC reported that the drone attack launched by Iran against the oil trading port of Fujairah, located in the UAE, had led to a large fire. The port was the only export route that bypassed the now heavily monitored Strait of Hormuz. The Fujairah Media Office stated that Civil Defence teams have begun efforts to control the incident, and that large oil bunkering operations have been suspended. The port is located at the end of the UAE’s Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP) and therefore bypasses the Strait, but it is now proven vulnerable to attacks as well. Iranian state media has warned residents and workers to evacuate the region.
On 16 March, The Wall Street Journal reported that the UK and the European Union have been seeking ways to reopen travel through the Strait of Hormuz to help counter global fuel shortages and price hikes. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer noted that they are trying to counter Iranian water mines using robot mine hunters. These developments follow US President Donald Trump’s call to seven nations to work toward opening up the Strait. Trump even went to the extent of warning of a “very bad” future for NATO if the US allies do not offer their much-needed assistance. Meanwhile, the disruptions in the Gulf have reached Dubai International Airport, where a drone attack sparked a fire that prevented several flights from operating. America, on the other hand, is seeing oil price pressures build up as no concrete solution to the shortage has been found yet.
On 16 March, Dawn and The Express Tribune reported that four civilians were killed and a five-year-old child seriously injured when mortar fire from across the border struck a village in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Afghan Taliban forces fired artillery into a civilian area, prompting Pakistani forces to retaliate. The incident comes amid escalating clashes along the frontier under “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq.” Pakistani officials later confirmed overnight strikes targeting militant hideouts and military infrastructure in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. Tarar said the attacks destroyed technical support facilities and equipment used by Afghan Taliban and TTP militants, stressing the operations were “precision engagement” against terrorist camps and not civilian targets.
On 15 March, Dawn reported that six militants were killed in a joint operation conducted by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and police in Lachi tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kohat district. According to the District Police Officer Shahbaz Elahi, the operation was launched after intelligence indicated that militants were planning a large-scale attack in the area. A large contingent of CTD personnel and police carried out a “search and strike operation,” during which the suspects opened fire, triggering an exchange that left six militants dead. Police said weapons were recovered from the slain suspects, and the area was subsequently cordoned off while search operations continued. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised the forces involved, stating that he was proud of the “brave soldiers of the KP police and the CTD.” The operation comes amid a surge in militant violence in the province, where fatalities rose from 1620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025, according to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).
On 16 March, Dawn reported that the Pakistan government has decided to formulate a strategy for exporting surplus food items to Gulf countries. The Prime Minister reviewed the “food situation” in the country and the export of commodities available in excess in view of the “changing regional situation". The prime minister noted that disruptions in global supply chains had increased the export potential of Pakistani products in regional markets.
"When wars rage, children become the most tragic and unnecessary victims. Among the worst horrors of the current Middle East conflict are the 170-plus people, most of them schoolgirls, killed in a missile attack on a school in southern Iran. This is an unimaginable toll that the world has somehow become inured to, especially in the wake of the Gaza war, when one child was killed every hour on average, for a grim total of well over 20,000, according to Save the Children."
"According to the UN refugee agency, between 600,000 and one million Iranian households have been displaced within Iran amid ongoing US-Israeli bombardment. Families are leaving Tehran and other urban centres in search of safety in rural communities. This is a journey of necessity, driven by fear of air raids and destruction. Among the most vulnerable are Afghan refugee families already living precariously in Iran; many now face displacement for a second time. Lebanon presents a similar picture. Israeli attacks have forced thousands to flee their homes. More than 800,000 people are reportedly displaced, with thousands crammed into collective shelters where sanitation is poor and essential supplies are scarce. In such conditions, the risks of exploitation and abuse, particularly for women and children, rise sharply. The human toll of displacement extends far beyond the immediate trauma of war. Social systems begin to unravel. Schools close, hospitals struggle to cope and livelihoods vanish overnight. Urban centres absorbing large numbers of displaced people face immense pressures. In both Iran and Lebanon, cities already grappling with economic strain must now contend with the challenge of supporting thousands of additional residents."