Latest news with #Zia
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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
It's Yunus vs Khaleda Zia in Bangladesh over election by Dec 2025
Battle lines have been drawn between Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and former Prime Minister Khaled Zia over when the turbulent country should go to polls. read more A new kind of battle lines have been drawn between Bangladesh's interim Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus and the country's former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson, Khaleda Zia . The dispute between the two prominent Bangladeshi figures is over the date the country can go to the polls. While Yunus insisted that his interim government would like to usher in reforms and conduct the polls by June 2026, the BNP has been demanding that the elections be conducted by 2025. The political landscape of Bangladesh has been in disarray after violent protests toppled the government of Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Yunus was appointed as the interim chief adviser with the hopes that the interim government would call for quick elections. However, it will be a year in August since Yunus will still be in power, raising concerns about when the polls will be held in the country. Khaleda Zia raises alarm On Thursday, Zia called on her party leaders and activists to move forward to reestablish democracy in the country, slamming Yunus's leadership. On the eve of BNP founder and late president Ziaur Rahman's 44th death anniversary, Khaleda said, 'He [Ziaur Rahman] embraced martyrdom in the fight to establish democracy and safeguard sovereignty. The uninterrupted journey of that very democracy continues to face obstacles at every step.' 'Let this be our pledge on the death anniversary of Zia: we will see democracy reestablished in Bangladesh very soon. To achieve this goal, I urge BNP leaders and activists at all levels, and the people of the country, to move forward in a disciplined manner,' she added. This was her first public remarks after returning from London earlier this month. She has been receiving treatment in the UK and staying with her son, Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the party. The remarks from Zia came a day after tens of thousands of students and youths of the BNP held a rally in the capital, Dhaka, demanding for general election in December. Zia's son, Rahman, addressed the rally virtually, where he is currently living in exile. The political scion reiterated the party's call for elections by December. 'The polls must be held by December. It has to take place within December,' he said. Yunus takes a dig After threatening to resign, Yunus held a meeting with leaders of different political parties, including the BNP. However, days after the meeting, Yunus appeared to be taking a dig at Zia's party. The Bangladeshi chief adviser maintained that not all parties, but one political party, want elections in December. Yunus's remarks came during the opening ceremony of the 30th Future of Asia Conference of Nikkei Forum in Japan. During his trip to Tokyo, the Bangladeshi chief adviser threw the country's politicians under the bus at an international level. While insisting that the elections can only take place after reforms are introduced in Dhaka, Yunus insisted that it is the politicians who are getting 'impatient' with the timeframe. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The politicians are very impatient, they like to get to their seats of power. So I have been promising them for a long time that elections could be conducted in December 2025 or at the latest, June 2026, that's six months,' Yunus told the Japanese delegation. 'It will depend on how fast you can do the reforms. If the reform process is slow, then it will be late, so people are insisting, 'Tell us when the elections will be',' he added. Overall, the tussle between Zia's BNP and Yunus over the Bangladesh poll is becoming more apparent as the day goes by. With inputs from agencies.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Supporters of Bangladesh's ex-Premier Khaleda Zia rally demanding general election by December
Tens of thousands of Bangladeshi students rallied in Dhaka, demanding a general election by December amidst growing discontent with the interim government. The rally, organised by groups linked to the BNP, follows weeks of political tension and calls for elections from various factions. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tens of thousands of students and youths from a leading Bangladeshi political party rallied in the capital, Dhaka, on Wednesday, calling for a general election in December as discontent grows with the interim government appointed after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in from three groups linked to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party , or BNP, headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia gathered on the streets outside its party headquarters, under heightened rally was held after weeks of political tensions after interim leader and Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus threatened to quit and the influential military chief publicly declared his support for an election in who has been suffering from ill-health for several years, recently returned to Bangladesh after four months of medical treatment in London, putting further pressure on Bangladesh's interim government to call an election."We have come here to respond to the call for the unity of the young people. We want democracy, we want election. Next election should be held soon, not later than December," Jahangir Hossain, a student activist, told The Associated Press. "We are united for democracy."Hasina, Zia's archrival, has been in exile in India since she was toppled last year by a mass uprising. Her party, the Awami League, was also banned by the interim BNP's acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, Zia's elder son, addressed the rally later on Wednesday by video link from London, where he is in his party's future plans for youth and others, Rahman reiterated his call for the next elections to be held in December and asked his supporters to prepare."The polls must be held by December. It has to take place within December," he interim government has been shaken by a series of protests, including by civil servants, primary school teachers and employees at the national revenue service in recent weeks. Many, including New York-based Human Rights Watch, accuse the government of failures in prosecuting organized crime figures responsible for killing and injuring hundreds of people. The rights group in a statement this month blamed the interim administration for legislative initiatives that undermine fundamental freedoms,Business bodies have also criticized Yunus over the weakness of the economy and labor Yunus came to power, he promised to make reforms in areas including the election law, women's rights and general administration, but the process has been slow and his critics believe he is using delaying tactics to remain in 10 months of rule under Yunus also marked a visible rise of influence by Islamists in the Muslim-majority country, which is governed largely by a secular constitution and legal system. A fatigued military, which has been out of barracks since July last year to maintain law and order, is unhappy because of the delay in returning to BNP recently met with Yunus and reiterated its demand for an election in December, saying that if Yunus quits, the country will find an alternative leader. But Yunus' associates later said he was promised to hold an election by June 2026, depending on the extent of reforms it has undertaken. The BNP, which is hopeful of forming the next government with the absence of Hasina's Awami League, said the pace of implementation of reforms should not be an excuse to delay the election and argued that the reform is a continuous process.
Bahrain This Week
3 days ago
- Business
- Bahrain This Week
Zoho Establishes First Bahrain Office, Launches Ulaa Secure Browser for Enterprises
Zoho Corp., a leading technology company, announced its plans to open its first office in Bahrain in 2025 and hire local Bahraini talents. Additionally, the company announced the launch of Ulaa Enterprise, the enterprise version of its privacy-focused browser, in Bahrain—aimed at helping organisations strengthen their cybersecurity readiness and proactively defend against cyberattacks. These announcements were made on the sidelines of Zoholics Bahrain, the company's annual user conference. The announcement underscores Zoho's commitment to contribute to Bahrain's Vision 2030 goals of economic diversification and innovation-led development. Over the past year, Zoho has achieved a 28% growth in revenue and a 19% growth in partner revenue in Bahrain, while expanding its local partner network by 22%. The company's top-performing products in 2024 include Zoho Books (VAT-compliant accounting software), Zoho People (HR management), Zoho One (operating system for businesses), Zoho Creator (low code app development platform), and Zoho CRM—tools that are increasingly relied upon by businesses seeking scalability and efficiency. 'As part of our continued expansion in Bahrain, Zoho is deepening its commitment to the local economy by opening a dedicated office and investing in the development of local talent,' said Saran B. Paramsivam, Regional Director MEA, Zoho. 'This move reflects our philosophy of transnational localism—bringing global innovation to local communities while respecting and nurturing regional strengths. By hiring locally and establishing a stronger on-ground presence, we aim to contribute to Bahrain's growing digital ecosystem and support the country's broader economic diversification goals.' The new Bahrain office will be staffed by newly-hired local talent, reinforcing Zoho's dedication to investing in Bahraini professionals and supporting the national workforce as part of its'transnational localism' strategy. Amid this regional growth, Zoho also launched Ulaa Enterprise, a secure, enterprise-ready browser designed to meet the evolving cybersecurity needs of modern organisations in Bahrain. With the MENA region witnessing a significant spike in cyberattacks—particularly phishing and browser-based intrusions—Ulaa Enterprise arrives at a critical time for businesses seeking to strengthen their cybersecurity posture. Ulaa Enterprise provides centralised policy management, data loss prevention (DLP) capabilities, and complete visibility withfine-grained controls over user behaviour. These features allow enterprises to prevent unauthorised downloads, screen captures, and uploads of sensitive information, all while eliminating the need for third-party software or heavy virtual desktop infrastructure. Ulaa Enterprise is also embedded with Zia, Zoho's AI assistant, which provides AI-driven security and productivity features. ZeroPhish detects phishing risks in real-time before a user clicks. Zia also improves user productivity by intelligently organising tabs based on behaviour, reducing the hassle for multitasking professionals. 'It's uncommon for businesses to consider investing in paid browsers as part of their security strategy. However, with the sharp rise in cyberattacks across the MENA—particularly those stemming from unsafe and unsecured browsing—this mindset is shifting. Ulaa Enterprise was built specifically for organisations that want to strengthen their first line of defence, enhance cybersecurity hygiene, and safeguard both their data and their customers' trust,' Paramsivam added. According to Gartner, 25% of organisations will implement at least one secure enterprise browser (SEB) technology by 2028 to supplement their existing secure remote access and endpoint protection strategies. Ulaa Enterprise is available immediately to organisations across the Middle East and North Africa. For more information, visit
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bangladesh: Khaleda Zia's backers demand new election
AP image Tens of thousands of students and youths from a leading Bangladeshi political party rallied in the capital, Dhaka, on Wednesday, calling for a general election in December as discontent grows with the interim government appointed after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August. Activists from three groups linked to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia gathered on the streets outside its party headquarters, under heightened security. Wednesday's rally was held after weeks of political tensions after interim leader and Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus threatened to quit and the influential military chief publicly declared his support for an election in December. Zia, who has been suffering from ill-health for several years, recently returned to Bangladesh after four months of medical treatment in London, putting further pressure on Bangladesh's interim government to call an election. "We have come here to respond to the call for the unity of the young people. We want democracy, we want election. Next election should be held soon, not later than December," Jahangir Hossain, a student activist, told The Associated Press. "We are united for democracy." Hasina, Zia's archrival, has been in exile in India since she was toppled last year by a mass uprising. Her party, the Awami League, was also banned by the interim government. The BNP's acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, Zia's elder son, addressed the rally later on Wednesday by video link from London, where he is in exile. Detailing his party's future plans for youth and others, Rahman reiterated his call for the next elections to be held in December and asked his supporters to prepare. "The polls must be held by December. It has to take place within December," he said. The interim government has been shaken by a series of protests, including by civil servants, primary school teachers and employees at the national revenue service in recent weeks. Many, including New York-based Human Rights Watch, accuse the government of failures in prosecuting organized crime figures responsible for killing and injuring hundreds of people. The rights group in a statement this month blamed the interim administration for legislative initiatives that undermine fundamental freedoms, Business bodies have also criticized Yunus over the weakness of the economy and labor unrest. When Yunus came to power, he promised to make reforms in areas including the election law, women's rights and general administration, but the process has been slow and his critics believe he is using delaying tactics to remain in power. The 10 months of rule under Yunus also marked a visible rise of influence by Islamists in the Muslim-majority country, which is governed largely by a secular constitution and legal system. A fatigued military, which has been out of barracks since July last year to maintain law and order, is unhappy because of the delay in returning to democracy. The BNP recently met with Yunus and reiterated its demand for an election in December, saying that if Yunus quits, the country will find an alternative leader. But Yunus' associates later said he was staying. Yunus promised to hold an election by June 2026, depending on the extent of reforms it has undertaken. The BNP, which is hopeful of forming the next government with the absence of Hasina's Awami League, said the pace of implementation of reforms should not be an excuse to delay the election and argued that the reform is a continuous process.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Supporters of Bangladesh's former PM Khaleda Zia rally to call for general election
DHAKA: Tens of thousands of students and youths from a leading Bangladeshi political party rallied in the capital, Dhaka, on Wednesday, calling for a general election in December as discontent grows with the interim government appointed after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August. Activists from three groups linked to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia gathered on the streets outside its party headquarters, under heightened security. Wednesday's rally was held after weeks of political tensions after interim leader and Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus threatened to quit and the influential military chief publicly declared his support for an election in December. Zia, who has been suffering from ill-health for several years, recently returned to Bangladesh after four months of medical treatment in London, putting further pressure on Bangladesh's interim government to call an election. 'We have come here to respond to the call for the unity of the young people. We want democracy, we want election. Next election should be held soon, not later than December,' Jahangir Hossain, a student activist, told The Associated Press. 'We are united for democracy.' Hasina, Zia's archrival, has been in exile in India since she was toppled last year by a mass uprising. Her party, the Awami League, was also banned by the interim government.
