Political instability in the wake of the arrest of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in a corruption case will not portend well for Bangladesh and the region.

With the Bangladesh general elections not far away in 2018, and the unlikely scenario of the Rohingya problem being fully resolved in the next few months, the issue is likely to deeply influence the posture of the various political parties.

BIMSTEC needs to build on regional synergies and work towards utilising the available resources optimally by focusing on fewer priority areas and undertaking projects that are economically feasible.

Mufti Hanna’s hanging may not mean the end of the terror outfit and definitely not the end of radical ideology in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh may be able to manage the Rohingya refugee problem only as a short-term expedient, albeit with considerable economic implications.

Bangladesh-based terror groups acting against India is not new. What is new is a Bangladeshi terror group based in India acting against both India and Bangladesh. Needless to say, robust counterterrorism cooperation between India and Bangladesh is imperative to tackling common enemies like JMB.

The sensational attack in the Dhaka café may have been intended to either cause international opinion to put pressure on the Hasina government to go for early election or incite the Army to take over political power.

Even if the investigations reveal the technical reason behind the breach, issues of jurisdiction, accountability and dearth of international laws governing cyber or money laundering crimes would await another billion dollar breach.