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In this episode of the South Asia Democratic Forum podcast, host Tapas Kanti Baul sits down with Barrister Tania Amir, senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and renowned human rights activist, to explore the deepening constitutional crisis in Bangladesh. One year into the Yunus regime, the country faces unprecedented legal and political upheaval. From the removal of secularism to the silencing of dissent and judicial purges, the regime’s actions reflect a troubling pattern of constitutional manipulation.
In this compelling episode, we welcome **Professor Masum Billah**, Visiting Fellow at Cote D' Azure University, Nice, France. Professor Billah shares his deep concerns about the future of secularism in Bangladesh, a core ideal from the nation's war of independence. He warns that without a cultural renaissance, Bangladesh risks becoming an extreme country. Professor Billah highlights the atrocities committed against religious and ethnic minorities in Bangladesh post-August 5, 2025, and criticizes the prevailing mobocracy culture. He passionately advocates for the establishment of a *Minority Rights Commission* and a **Ministry of Minority Affairs**, along with the enactment of protective laws to ensure a discrimination-free society and justice for minorities.
In this episode of SADF Podcast, Paulo Casaca, Executive Director of the South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF) a Brussels based think tank, talked on the present situation in Bangladesh. In the podcast, he discussed Bangladesh's relationship with both India and China. He expressed his concerns over the human rights situation in Bangladesh due to the rise of Islamic Terrorism in Bangladesh. Recently, he was alarmed by the use of Nazi and ISIS flags in the demonstrations of students on the streets of Dhaka. Paulo is concerned over the way the Yunus regime is controlling the media and he said that due to heavy government control, there is no freedom of expression in Bangladesh at the moment.
In this episode, we explore the ideological and geopolitical transformations shaping Bangladesh’s future. From the rise of political Islam during the Muhammad Yunus era to the current tensions along the India and Myanmar borders, we unpack how domestic shifts are influencing regional strategy.
We are proud to launch a compelling new episode of the SADF Podcast featuring Mr. Aftab Alexander Mughal, Editor of Minority Concern Pakistan (UK), where we explore the urgent and complex realities faced by religious minorities in Pakistan.
In this powerful episode of the SADF Podcast, host Tapas Kanti Baul speaks with Dr. Masum Billah, Professor of Law at Jagannath University, about the alarming crisis of academic freedom in Bangladesh. Teachers are facing mob violence, mass resignations, and criminal charges, creating a climate of fear and censorship across university campuses. What are the legal, political, and social forces driving this repression? And what does it mean for the future of education and democracy in Bangladesh?
In this episode of the SADF podcast, host Tapas Kanti Baul speaks with Canadian Tamil filmmaker and peace advocate Pitasanna Shanmugathas, director of the powerful documentary "Neelan: Unsilenced". The film explores the life and legacy of Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam—a Sri Lankan Tamil constitutional lawyer, academic, and human rights activist who was assassinated in 1999. We discuss Neelan’s visionary proposals for constitutional reform, his commitment to pluralism and reconciliation, and the political complexities surrounding his death. Pitasanna shares insights into the filmmaking process, the challenges of documenting dissent, and the importance of preserving voices silenced by violence.
In this episode of the South Asia Democratic Forum podcast, host Tapas Kanti Baul is joined by Paulo Casaca, Executive Director of SADF, to unpack the geopolitical and economic fallout of the Trump administration’s steep tariff regime targeting India. Following the August 6 announcement of a 50% tariff on Indian imports, Prime Minister Modi swiftly met with Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in China—signaling a potential strategic realignment. Meanwhile, South Asian neighbors like Bangladesh and Pakistan were spared the harshest penalties, raising questions about regional winners and losers.
In this episode of the South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF) Podcast, host Tapas Kanti Baul speaks with Dr. Pramod Jaiswal, Research Director at NIICE, to unpack the dramatic political and constitutional crisis unfolding in Nepal. From the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to the Gen Z-led uprising and the appointment of an interim government, Nepal is witnessing a historic moment of reckoning. What are the constitutional dilemmas? Who are the key actors? And what does the future hold for democracy in the Himalayan republic?
In the aftermath of Nepal’s Gen-G uprising, the country faces a deep political and social crisis. Public institutions have been vandalised, trust in governance has eroded, and communities remain divided. Can restorative justice offer a path forward? In this episode of the SADF podcast, host Tapas Kanti Baul speaks with Ram Tiwari, founder of the Nepal Forum for Restorative Justice, to explore how Nepal can rebuild peace, accountability, and trust through non-retributive justice mechanisms.
In this episode of the SADF podcast, host Barrister Tapas Kanti Baul and co-host Natasha Fernando engage in a powerful conversation with Dr. Chamindra Weerawardhana, a leading scholar in decolonial feminist international relations. Dr. Chamindra shares her insights on how peacebuilding in South Asia—particularly in Sri Lanka—can be reimagined through feminist and transfeminist lenses. Drawing from her acclaimed monograph Decolonising Peacebuilding, she critiques Western-centric models and advocates for locally rooted, intersectional approaches to conflict transformation.
Governments across South Asia are locked in a battle with Big Tech giants over data sovereignty, content moderation, and democratic accountability. In this episode, Professor Subhajit Basu, a leading expert in law and technology from the University of Leeds, joins us to unpack the challenges and opportunities of regulating Big Tech in emerging democracies.