Registan’s Tajikistan News & Analysis Archive

Tajikistan has attracted less attention at Registan since our launch in 2003, but that coverage has increased in recent years as Tajikistan plays a more prominent role in security and development in South and Central Asia. Several of our authors have research experience in Tajikistan and others have worked on a variety of research and analysis projects on Tajikistan. Our most current coverage of Central Asia news can be found on our front page. Inquiries about our Tajikistan news and analysis, hiring Registan authors to consult on Tajikistan, or any other topic, can be submitted via the contact form on our about page.

…it will be a bloody mess

by Gene Daniels

I once met an Uzbek political scientist from Tashkent who was visiting Osh. Among many other things we discussed the potential for violence in the Ferghana valley. I was arguing the position that post-Soviet Central Asians did not appear to be violent people and that I doubted the potential for wide-spread social violence in the [...]

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US Military’s Black Mountain Facility in Tajikistan

by Christian Bleuer
Thumbnail image for US Military’s Black Mountain Facility in Tajikistan

I can’t tell you how disappointed I am with the US Department of Defense’s chosen location for a new training facility in Tajikistan. Here’s the contract info: …National Training Center located in Karatog, Tajikistan. Work includes but is not limited to construction of a garrison compound and training ranges. The garrison compound includes administrative facilities, [...]

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Hijab Spring Fashion

by Mark

The other day when chatting with a fellow expat in Tajikistan I observed that their seemed to be more woman wearing hijabs this spring. My friend agreed and noted a marked increase in young school aged girls.  Last week I visited a primary school in Khujand and was suprised (not shocked, revolted, or dismayed, only [...]

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Tajikistan News and Blogs

by Christian Bleuer

Hi everybody, I’m building an online research portal for Tajikistan. It’s sure to bring me fame, money and widespread international praise, I’m sure. At the moment it’s about one-third finished. But I’m not too sure I have a full idea of all the blogs and news websites available. Could those of you in the know [...]

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Taxing Tajik Transportation

by Mark

With the recent talk of Kyrgyzstan’s “north-south” divide I found this development in Tajikistan interesting. Like it’s neighbor Tajikistan can also be fairly characterized as suffering from a  “north and south” split. Politically speaking there exists a rift between the old, Khujandi power base of Soviet times and the new administration hailing from Kulob. Entho-linguistically [...]

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Events in Kyrgyzstan and Their Pros and Cons for Tajikistan

by Botur_Kosimi

Five years after popular tulip revolution, Kyrgyzstan is once again in the midst of protests, violent uprising, and instability. The revolution carried out on the tide of people’s dissatisfaction with corruption and deception of Askar Akaev’s family rule and with the purpose of bringing more equality and justice, unfortunately, did not help promote democratic and [...]

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Uzbekistan’s mismanaged damning of Roghun

by Mark

By now everyone has no doubt heard of the Tajik government’s infamous program of “share selling” to finance the new hydro-electric dam Roghun. The Tajik people don’t seem to harbor any illusions that they won’t see any return on their investment. “I just bought an expensive piece of toilet paper” one friend quipped. Nor do [...]

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Afghan Refugees in Tajikistan

by Christian Bleuer

Aside from RFE/RL there is little non-Central Asian or non-Russian reporting from Central Asia. But on occasion, Al Jazeera English makes a foray into the area. Recently they filed a report from Vaghdad, Tajikistan (they pronounced it like Baghdad in Arabic). A quick look at the mountains and the general location given lets us know [...]

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Polls, Politics, and Polygamy

by Mark

The preliminary tallying is now done in Tajikistan’s parliamentary elections that were held Sunday. To no one’s great surprise the incumbent People’s Democratic Party headed by president Imomali Rakhmon’s has secured a healthy majority (71.7%) of the votes. The Islamic Renaissance Party came in second with a paltry 7.7 percent although they are keen on [...]

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Tajikistan’s Unlikely Street Protests

by Christian Bleuer

About a week ago I was asked if I would be following Tajikistan’s parliamentary elections. I didn’t see the point, as the outcome was known before the actual election. But others paid more attention to the actual process and this week we have the even more predictable international reaction to the government’s solid win. The [...]

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