Crisis in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan: What's going on with India's neighbours?

Three of India's neighbouring countries- Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan- have witnessed unusual shifts in their political environment including calls for politicians to step down and mass protests against ruling governments which often took a violent turn, killing and injuring numerous people.

Several demonstrators also faced arrest and detention.

Bangladesh: Anti-govt protests, Hasina's resignation, formation of new interim govt

> A political crisis broke out in Bangladeshas students launched protests against the civil service job quotas last month.Students protested against public sector job quotas, which included a 30 per centreservation for family members of freedom fighters from the 1971 War of Independence from Pakistan.

> The protests, which ousted Sheikh Hasina from the prime minister's post, were also fuelled byharsh economic conditions and political repression. The COVID-19 pandemic damaged the $450 billion economy after years of strong growth, leading to high inflation, unemployment, and shrinking reserves.

> Sheikh Hasina resigned as Bangladesh's PM on Monday (August 5) and fled the country. The nationwide violencekilled about 300 people and injured thousands. Several protesters were also detained.

> Hasina is currently in India, staying in a safe house in New Delhi. As per media reports,she plans to seek asylum in Britain, but the British Home Office has declined to comment.

> Following Hasina's resignation, a caretaker governmentled by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in on Thursday, which will be tasked with holding elections.

Sri Lanka: Deep financial crisis causes widespread agitation

> A deep financial crisis in Sri Lanka left the countrystruggling to pay for imports of food, medicine and fuel and brought thousands of protesters onto the streets in March 2022. Protests escalatedwith sit-in demonstrations outside then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office aimed at removing the president to pave the way for political reforms.

> Widespread clashes broke out betweenpro- and anti-government protesters. The countrywide violence left nine dead and hundreds injured. Eventually Gotabaya Rajapaksaresigned from his post.

> This was Sri Lanka's worst economic crisis in 75 years.

> In July 2022,Ranil Wickremesinghebecame the country's president, and the new government reached apreliminary agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a loan of about $2.9 billion.

> On November 14,Sri Lanka's budget laid down several measures, including reducing the government's deficit in its efforts to secure the IMF bailout. In January 2023, India told theIMF that it would support Sri Lanka's debt restructuring plan.

> Also in January last year, the Export-Import Bank of China offered Sri Lanka a two-year moratorium on its debt and said it would support the country's efforts to secure the IMF loan.

> Sri Lanka would be holding its first presidential election since the unrest, on September 21 this year.

Pakistan: Imran Khan's ouster, his imprisonment, elections

> In April 2022, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan was ousted as Pakistan's prime minister. He became the PM in 2018.

> Khan, the chairperson of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was removed from the top post through a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly. He blamed the military for his ouster.No Pakistani prime minister has completed a full five-year term in office, and most have served time in jail.

> Pakistan Muslim League (N) leaderShehbaz Sharif was sworn in as the new PM

> ImranKhanwas convicted in four cases ahead of the February national election this year and has been in jail since August last year, but all of the sentences against him have since been overturned or suspended. He was jailed on dozens of charges ranging from corruption to leaking state secrets.

> The Pakistan military said thatKhanand his party were behind attacks on military installations last year during widespread protests against his detention.

> In this election, candidates backed by Khan gained the most seats but the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) agreed to form a coalition government, which enabled Shehbaz Sharif to be elected as prime minister for a second term.

> ImranKhan's imprisonment has added to political volatility in Pakistan, which has experienced a prolonged economic crisis and last month received a bailout from the IMF.

> Recently, analysts told the news agency Reuters that theinstability sinceKhan's ouster has driven Islamabad to accept the IMF's painful fiscal consolidation requirements.

(With inputs from agencies)