Nearly 200 million people reside in the neighboring countries of South Asia—Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. Although these countries share a common colonial history, legal framework, and lifestyle, there are significant differences in the structure and practice of journalism across the region. These differences have created visible gaps between communities. To bridge this divide and strengthen regional cooperation, people-to-people communication is essential, and the most effective and powerful medium for this is journalism.

I believe that the initiative taken by GIJN to bring South Asian investigative journalists under a single platform will help build a strong regional network in the future. Through such collaboration, it will become easier to address cross-border issues, including corporate malpractice, pollution control, river and environmental crises, and other shared challenges. At the same time, it will foster deeper connections among the peoples of these countries.

Journalism remains the most reliable and effective means to rebuild regional trust, connectivity, and mutual understanding. Therefore, in the interest of nearly 200 million people in this vast region, it is imperative that this initiative be implemented without delay. I shared these thoughts yesterday evening at the Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Malaysia, during a discussion attended by over a hundred South Asian journalists.