Photo courtesy - Reuters Bangladesh is undergoing a political crisis at the moment - the Prime Minister Sheikh Haseena, who was re-elected in an election which was boycotted by the main opposition party, has abdicated her position and the military has moved in to take reigns of the government. While the immediate development is clearly a jolt to democracy in Bangladesh, it hints towards a significant shift in the political landscape across South Asia, particularly in the Indian subcontinent.  The ouster of Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh, the declining dominance of the National Conference party led by the Abdullah dynasty in Jammu and Kashmir, and the loss of power by the Congress party in India, all point to a common trend: the fall of dynastic politics and the emergence of leaders from non-elite backgrounds. Historically, during the British Raj, royals from princely states colluded with the British crown for continuance of the Raj and their own kingdoms, while oppressing their own popula

Photo courtesy Stringer/Reuters It has been another weekend of rioting, larceny and arson in the UK, this time in Rotherham and Tamworth - the worst civil unrest since the 2011 riots. As I reflect on my previous analysis from 2011 , it is evident that many of the underlying issues that fueled those riots remain unresolved today. In my 2011 blog post, I explored the complex socio-economic factors that contributed to the riots, including disenfranchisement, lack of opportunities, and systemic inequalities. Fast forward to 2024, and we are witnessing a resurgence of unrest, this time triggered by anti-immigrant sentiments and actions against asylum seekers [ 1 ] [ 2 ].  While the immediate causes and triggers of the current riots may differ - fueled by far-right ideologies and a backlash against immigration - the underlying issues of inequality, lack of social cohesion, and economic disenfranchisement persist. The current climate reflects a society grappling with similar frustrations that