Two victorious BNP candidates in Chattogram have earned widespread praise after visiting the homes of their defeated Jamaat-e-Islami rivals to exchange greetings. On Friday afternoon, BNP Chairman’s adviser and Chattogram-4 winner Aslam Chowdhury visited Jamaat candidate Anwar Siddique Chowdhury in Abdullahghat, while Chattogram-2 (Mirsarai) winner Nurul Amin Chairman visited Jamaat candidate Advocate Saifur Rahman. Supporters from both parties expressed enthusiasm as the leaders shared sweets and cordial moments.

Observers described the gesture as a rare display of political harmony following a competitive and transparent national election. They noted that the friendly exchanges reflected a hopeful shift toward unity and cooperation, rather than hostility or division. Both Jamaat candidates expressed willingness to work with their BNP counterparts for the welfare of local residents, emphasizing reconciliation and joint development efforts.

The initiative has gone viral on social media, where many users hailed it as a symbolic return of democratic civility in Bangladesh’s political culture after years of polarization.

Bangladesh’s Election Commission has published the official gazette of results for the 13th National Parliament election, confirming a landslide victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) alliance with 212 seats, while the Jamaat alliance won 77. Out of 300 constituencies, results for 297 have been released, with two Chattogram seats pending court decisions and one Sherpur seat postponed due to a candidate’s death. Following the results, attention has turned to the swearing-in of newly elected members, expected by February 16 or 17.

Questions have arisen over who will administer the oath, as the constitution assigns this duty to the Speaker or Deputy Speaker, but both positions are currently vacant following recent political upheaval. According to Article 148, if the designated officials cannot conduct the oath, the President may nominate someone to do so, or failing that, the Chief Election Commissioner must administer it within three days. Once sworn in, the President will invite the majority party to form the new government, appointing its leader as Prime Minister.

The oath-taking will mark the formal transfer of power, as per constitutional provisions, completing the transition to a new government.

The Pakistan government is planning to transfer former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail to a new prison in Islamabad within the next two months, according to The Express Tribune. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced the plan during a police passing-out ceremony in Islamabad, stating that the new facility will be completed within two months and will include full medical services.

Imran Khan has been held at Adiala Jail since September 2023. The federal government recently assured the Supreme Court that Khan would be allowed to consult an eye specialist again amid growing concerns over his deteriorating eyesight. He will also be permitted to speak by phone with his sons, Qasim and Suleiman, while in custody.

Advocate Salman Safdar, serving as amicus curiae, met Khan in Adiala Jail and later submitted a seven-page report on his health, quoting Khan as saying that despite treatment, he retains only 15 percent vision in his right eye.

Bangladesh’s 13th national parliamentary election was held on February 12, with voting conducted in 299 of 300 constituencies. Out of 59 registered political parties, 51 participated in the election. According to results published for 297 constituencies so far, 42 parties failed to win any seats, while candidates from only nine parties secured representation in parliament.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won 209 seats, Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68, and the National Citizens Party (NCP) won six. Additionally, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Gano Adhikar Parishad, Bangladesh National Party-BJP, Ganosamhati Andolan, and Khelafat Majlish each won one seat, while Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish won two. Many parties that fielded candidates in over a hundred constituencies ended up without any victories.

Political analysts cited polarization around major parties, alliance-based campaigning, and strategic voting as key reasons smaller and newer parties failed to achieve desired results.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has reclaimed the Barishal-3 (Muladi–Babuganj) parliamentary seat after nearly 25 years. Party candidate Advocate Zainul Abedin, contesting with the paddy sheaf symbol, secured 80,930 votes to win the election. His closest rival, Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad of the 11-party alliance and general secretary of the Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party, received 61,192 votes, giving the BNP candidate a victory margin of 19,738 votes. The result was officially confirmed early Thursday night by Barishal’s Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Md Khairul Alam Suman.

According to the district administration, Barishal-3 had 332,097 registered voters, of whom 177,716 cast ballots. Other candidates included Muhammad Sirajul Islam of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, who received 16,325 votes, and Golam Kibria Tipu of the Jatiya Party, who gained 14,184 votes. BNP last held the seat in 2001 through Mosharraf Hossain Mongu, losing it in 2008 to the Jatiya Party. The party did not contest in 2014 and failed again in 2018.

Following his victory, Zainul Abedin thanked voters for their trust and pledged to work with honesty and dedication for the development of Babuganj and Muladi. Observers described the win as a symbolic resurgence for BNP in the southern region.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman held his first press conference following the party’s decisive victory in Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary election. The event took place on Saturday at 3:45 p.m. in the ballroom of Hotel Intercontinental, marking his first formal media appearance since returning to the country.

Rahman had spent about fifteen years in exile in the United Kingdom before returning to Bangladesh with his family on December 25. Although he had attended several political events since his return, he had not previously organized a press conference. His appearance now comes at a time when the BNP is consolidating its position after the election.

The press conference signifies Rahman’s reemergence in active political leadership following years abroad, coinciding with the BNP’s renewed prominence in national politics.

The liaison committee of the eleven-party alliance, including Jamaat-e-Islami, is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Saturday evening at Jamaat’s central office in Moghbazar, Dhaka. The meeting aims to review the post-national election situation and determine next steps. Labor Party Chairman Dr. Mostafizur Rahman Iran confirmed the meeting. The decision follows a Friday night meeting chaired by Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, where alliance leaders discussed the results of the 12 February 13th National Parliamentary Election and related developments.

According to Jamaat’s central publicity department, the earlier meeting addressed alleged irregularities such as vote manipulation, obstruction of polling agents, and attacks on alliance supporters and voters. Leaders condemned what they described as fascist activities, including arson attacks, and demanded an immediate end to such incidents. They also agreed to take tougher measures if the situation persists.

The alliance reaffirmed its commitment to promoting healthy politics, protecting women’s rights and safety, and standing with the general public. Leaders emphasized that their pre-election promises would continue and called for an end to all wrongdoing across the country.

The European Union Election Observation Mission has described Bangladesh’s 13th national parliamentary election as competitive, stating that the Election Commission acted independently and impartially. The mission presented its preliminary report at a press conference on Saturday, noting that the election marked a new step in restoring citizens’ voting rights and strengthening democratic practice in the country.

However, the observers raised concerns about the low participation of women, pointing out that only 4 percent of candidates were female, which they said contradicted political commitments to gender inclusion. Chief observer Ivars Ijabs also urged greater efforts to ensure the security and voting rights of minority communities. Despite some election-related conflicts, mission head Tomas Zdechovsky said the overall environment remained peaceful.

The EU team is continuing to monitor the post-election situation and plans to release a full report within two months, including recommendations for future improvements. They expressed hope that the new government would work to protect the rights and safety of all citizens and increase women’s participation in the electoral process.

In the Barishal-6 (Bakerganj) constituency election, three candidates from Gano Odhikar Parishad, Bangladesh Muslim League, and an independent contender lost their deposits. According to official results, Gano Odhikar Parishad’s Salauddin Mia received 137 votes, Bangladesh Muslim League’s Mufti Abdul Quddus got 238 votes, and independent candidate Kamrul Islam Khan secured 344 votes.

The seat was won by BNP’s candidate and district convenor Abul Hossain Khan, who ran under the ‘sheaf of paddy’ symbol and obtained 81,087 votes. His closest rival, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Maulana Mahamudunnabi Talukdar, received 55,533 votes, giving the BNP candidate a victory margin of 26,500 votes. The district returning officer’s office reported that the constituency comprises 113 polling centers.

Bakerganj upazila, which includes one municipality and 14 unions, has a total of 315,597 registered voters, including 160,055 men, 155,538 women, and four transgender voters.

In the Faridpur-2 constituency, covering Saltha and Nagarkanda, BNP central organizing secretary Shama Obaid Islam Rinku won the election with 1,221,694 votes, according to results published on February 14, 2026. Her nearest rival, Shah Md. Akram Ali of the 11-party alliance with the rickshaw symbol, received 89,305 votes. A total of six candidates contested the seat.

Under Bangladesh’s election law, a candidate must secure at least one-eighth, or 12.5 percent, of total valid votes to retain their deposit. In this constituency, that threshold was 26,865 votes. However, four candidates failed to meet the requirement and will forfeit their deposits. Akramuzzaman of Insoniyat Biplob Bangladesh (apple) received 617 votes, Faruk Fakir of Gono Odhikar Parishad (truck) 675 votes, Md. Nazmul Hasan of Bangladesh Congress (coconut) 257 votes, and Shah Md. Jamal Uddin of Islami Andolon Bangladesh (hand fan) 2,368 votes.

Out of 218,831 total votes cast, 3,915 were invalid, leaving 214,916 valid votes. Many candidates reportedly received zero votes in several of the 117 polling centers.

Newly elected members of Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliament are expected to take their oath of office by February 16 or 17, according to Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam. He made the announcement on Saturday morning during a briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, adding that details on who will administer the oath will be disclosed later.

The Election Commission has already published the official gazette of the referendum results and the list of newly elected MPs. Late on Friday night, results for 297 out of 300 constituencies were officially released. Results for two constituencies in Chattogram will be announced later as per court directives, while the Sherpur-3 constituency election was postponed earlier due to the death of a Jamaat candidate.

Voting for the 13th parliamentary election and a national referendum took place across the country on Thursday in a festive atmosphere, with polling held simultaneously at 42,779 centers from 7:30 a.m.

Supporters of the defeated candidate Emdadul Haque Bhorsa, who contested under the paddy sheaf symbol in Rangpur-4 (Kaunia–Pirgacha), staged protests demanding a recount of votes. On Saturday, after Bhorsa submitted a written complaint to the district administration and spoke to journalists, his supporters and party activists organized demonstrations rejecting the announced results. Protests and road blockades were reported in Haragach, Kaunia, and Pirgacha, with some incidents of burning tires on roads.

From Saturday morning, demonstrators in Haragach municipality held broom and shoe processions while chanting slogans against National Citizens Party member secretary Akhtar Hossain. Protesters claimed irregularities in vote counting and alleged that the declared results did not reflect the true outcome. They argued that without “election engineering,” their candidate would have won by a large margin and urged authorities to publish the genuine results through a recount.

As tensions escalated, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) forces were deployed to restore order. Law enforcement agencies attempted to bring the situation under control, while no immediate comments were available from relevant officials.

Bangladesh has officially published the gazette containing the results of the national referendum and the list of newly elected members of the 13th National Parliament. The gazette was released late on Friday night. According to the published data, 48,206,660 people voted 'yes' in the referendum, while 22,071,726 voted 'no'. A total of 7,422,637 ballot papers were declared invalid.

Sources from the Chief Adviser’s Office indicated that the government has decided the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) will administer the oath to the newly elected members of parliament. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place on either Monday or Tuesday. On the same day, the new prime minister and cabinet members are also likely to take their oaths.

The publication of the gazette marks a key procedural step following the 13th parliamentary election and the national referendum, paving the way for the formation of the new government.

In Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliamentary Election, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) emerged as the winning party, while Jamaat-e-Islami is set to occupy the opposition benches. However, BNP lost several constituencies because of internal rebellion and independent candidacies. At least 79 BNP leaders contested as independents or rebel candidates after being denied party nominations, leading to vote splits that benefited Jamaat’s alliance. The Election Commission published the official gazette of results for 297 out of 300 constituencies on February 13, 2026, following nationwide voting held on February 12.

Notable rebel winners include Rumin Farhana in Brahmanbaria-2, A.Z.M. Rezwanul Haque in Dinajpur-5, Mohammad Salman Omar in Mymensingh-1, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Iqbal in Kishoreganj-5, Atikul Alam in Comilla-7, and several others. Each of these candidates was expelled from BNP after running independently. Meanwhile, Jamaat’s allied parties, including the National Citizen Party and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, secured multiple seats through seat-sharing arrangements.

The results indicate that internal divisions within BNP weakened its overall performance, allowing Jamaat’s coalition partners to gain ground in several key constituencies.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman announced that his party has accepted the results of Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliamentary Election and will function as a responsible opposition. He made the statement in a verified Facebook post at 1:44 a.m. on Friday, February 13, 2026. Rahman emphasized that Jamaat’s movement was never about a single election but about strengthening democratic culture, protecting citizens’ rights, and building a just and accountable state. He pledged that the party would play a principled, peaceful, and constructive role in parliament.

In his message, Rahman expressed gratitude to volunteers and supporters who worked tirelessly during the election period, noting that many faced intimidation and harassment while exercising democratic rights. He said their courage had strengthened democracy. Addressing party members, he acknowledged disappointment over the results but highlighted that Jamaat’s parliamentary presence had nearly quadrupled to 77 seats, marking its emergence as a stronger opposition force in modern Bangladeshi politics.

Rahman also reflected on the changing nature of politics, citing past examples to stress patience and responsibility in democratic progress.