Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal are experiencing dramatic political transitions, each ushering in genuinely new governing orders rather than the familiar 'old wine in new bottles' reshuffles. These shifts carry consequences not only domestically but across the broader South Asian region.

Sri Lanka's transition, the earliest of the three, was driven by systemic economic collapse that persisted despite heavy borrowing from China. The election of a reformist government emerging from the mass protest movement marked a decisive break from the dynastic politics of the Rajapaksa era. While India and multilateral agencies provided crucial financial and humanitarian assistance during the crisis, this goodwill has not translated into policy alignment. Colombo's new leadership emphasises sovereignty, transparency and a break from dependency politics, yet the country still struggles to restore economic stability without imposing........

© The Express Tribune