Category: Country Reports
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February 2020
Overview. Politically, January was dominated by the Dhaka mayoral election campaigning. The World Bank has projected 7.2% GDP growth for Bangladesh in FY 2019-20, while remittances hit record highs amid taka devaluation and government moves to provide incentives. Dhaka Mayor Elections. Awami League mayoral candidates were unofficially declared elected in the Dhaka North City Corporation…
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February 2020
Overview. Iranian resistance to the US campaign of Maximum Pressure through deniable actions and regional proxies attracted little military response in 2019 from the US. That ended this month. Iranian national morale, national unity and faith in the Islamic Revolutionary regime is at rock bottom after the death of its feted Quds Force commander and…
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February 2020
Overview. The new year crept in without the much-expected bang. Egypt’s security services were on high alert in January as they prepared to protect the Coptic Christian population from attacks as they celebrated Coptic Christmas. They were also deployed to police anticipated protests to mark the Arab Spring anniversary. Neither threat materialised and the nation…
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January 2020
Overview. The last month 2019 proved testing for Pakistan on several fronts. There was a slight increase in terrorist activity by previously quiet organisations, coupled with various threat alerts issued by the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA). The Special Court’s death sentence verdict against ex-President Pervez Musharaf and subsequent concerns shown by the armed forces…
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January 2020
Overview. The 21st triennial council of the ruling Awami League was held this month, with the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurating the event and reiterating her desire to build a hunger and poverty-free Bangladesh. UNESCAP forecast Bangladesh’s exports to rise by more than 9% in value and 6% in volume in 2020.…… Read the rest
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January 2020
Overview. Another high-octane month on both geopolitical and domestic fronts for Iran: JCPOA parties meet in Vienna and narrowly avoided striking a deathblow to the nuclear deal; Iran and the US agreed to a prisoner swap; and, speculation surrounds a visit to Japan by President Rouhani. Domestically, Rouhani presents a resistance budget to the Majlis…