🚲🌇The problem with Southasian cities – Southasia Weekly #96

A lot of the news I’ve been reading this week has implications on upcoming elections. In Myanmar, the military offered a reward for information about activists who staged an anti-election rally in downtown Mandalay, underscoring that the upcoming election is an exercise in legitimising military rule. In Nepal, the government signed an agreement with a group of protesters to form a commission for constitutional and electoral reform ahead of March elections. And in Bangladesh, the news has been full of news of Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Khaleda Zia’s failing health, especially as her son and acting BNP chair Tarique Rahman remains in London awaiting for Bangladesh’s interim government to announce a firm election date. 

We decided to go with Bangladesh this week, but you can be sure we’ll be following news from Myanmar, Nepal and elsewhere across the region closely, bringing you the latest week on week. It takes a lot to comb through the headlines and bring you in-depth analysis, and that’s why we really need your support. So make sure to become a Patron so we can keep bringing you the latest from across the region!

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This week in Himal

Sohel Sarkar writes about the politics of space and mobility in India and Pakistan, using four new books to show how inequality, everyday movement and aspirations shape ‘world-class’ cities.