Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) Vice President Sadik Kayem has declared that terrorism and mafia rule will not be allowed to take hold in Bangladesh. In a Facebook post on Friday, he alleged that since the announcement of election results, activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have carried out brutal attacks in various areas and issued threats against dissenting students on campuses.

Kayem urged elected representatives and leaders of the ruling political party to act responsibly and end all forms of confrontational politics, ensuring a safe environment for people of differing opinions. He criticized the administration for remaining inactive in the face of ongoing violence and warned that if attacks continue, students will organize strong resistance.

He further stated that in the new Bangladesh following the July revolution, no form of terrorism or mafia system would be allowed to emerge, emphasizing the need for unity and vigilance among citizens and students.

In Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliamentary Election, held under the Election Commission’s supervision, a total of 51 political parties participated. Results were announced for 297 constituencies, with one seat’s voting postponed and two pending due to legal disputes. Analysis of the results shows that 42 parties failed to win any seats. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured 209 seats, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami won 68, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) gained 6, and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish won 2. These three parties are part of the 11-party alliance. Additionally, five smaller parties each won one seat, while independent candidates captured seven seats.

Political analysts cited in the report observed that smaller and newer parties, despite fielding candidates in over a hundred constituencies, failed to achieve expected results. They attributed this to polarization around major parties, alliance-based campaigning, and strategic voting patterns. As a result, only nine political parties and a few independents will be represented in the new parliament, leaving the rest facing disappointment.

The election outcome underscores the growing centralization of political power and the limited influence of smaller parties in Bangladesh’s parliamentary politics.

Abu Daud Pradhan, president of the BNP’s Panchagarh Sadar upazila unit, unlocked a previously sealed Awami League office in Chaklahat union on Friday morning after winning the local election. The office had been under restriction, and the act of reopening it drew widespread attention after a video of the event circulated on social media, prompting mixed reactions. Pradhan assured Awami League activists of his support and said the move aimed to maintain peace and order in the area.

Local Awami League leaders, including joint general secretary Kamruzzaman Bullet, described the action as freeing their grassroots organization. Freedom fighter Abul Hossain alleged that false cases had been filed against them and sought Pradhan’s help. Former Chhatra League leader Anisuzzaman Swapon called for peaceful coexistence beyond party lines. District BNP convener Md. Jahirul Islam Kachchu and committee member Yunus Sheikh stated that the action had no party approval and left them surprised.

The incident has stirred ongoing discussion and criticism in local political circles in Panchagarh.

The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has assured that the official gazette for the 13th National Parliament election results will be published soon following the completion of vote counting. EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed announced this at a press conference on Friday, noting that voting took place uninterrupted across 299 constituencies from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The commission confirmed a voter turnout of 59.44 percent.

According to the EC, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won 209 of the 297 declared seats, while Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68. The Nationalist Citizens Party (NCP) won six seats, and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish won two. These three parties are part of an 11-party alliance. Other parties, including Islami Andolon, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Bangladesh National Party, Gonosonghoti Andolon, and Khelafat Majlish, each won one seat, while seven independents were elected.

Results for two constituencies in Chattogram remain suspended pending High Court appeals related to loan cases, and one constituency’s election was postponed due to a candidate’s death. The EC has included the vote counts from the suspended constituencies in the overall tally.

Four candidates from religious and ethnic minority communities, all nominated by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), have won seats in the 13th National Parliamentary Election. The voting took place on Thursday across 299 constituencies alongside a national referendum, with official results announced for 297 seats by the Election Commission. The winners include Gayeshwar Chandra Roy from Dhaka-3, Nitai Roy Chowdhury from Magura-2, Saching Prue from Bandarban, and Dipen Dewan from Rangamati.

BNP had nominated six candidates from minority communities, of whom two were defeated in Bagerhat-1 and Bagerhat-4. Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) each fielded one minority candidate, both of whom lost. In total, 79 minority candidates contested the election, with 22 registered political parties nominating 67 of them and 12 running as independents.

The results highlight BNP’s relative success in securing minority representation in the new parliament, as all four winning minority candidates came from its slate.

Zobairul Hasan Arif, the sole candidate of the National Citizen Party (NCP) in Chattogram, lost his deposit after receiving only 2,906 votes in the 13th National Parliamentary Election. He contested from Chattogram-8 (Chandgaon–Boalkhali) constituency, securing just 0.52 percent of the total votes. According to the Returning Officer’s office, there were 554,729 registered voters in the constituency, and 256,134 votes were cast. BNP candidate Ershad Ullah was unofficially declared elected with 150,737 votes, while Jamaat-e-Islami’s Md. Abu Naser came second with 52,033 votes.

Election officials, including Chattogram Divisional Commissioner Dr. Md. Ziauddin and Assistant Returning Officer Mehedi Hasan Faruk, confirmed the results. As per the Election Commission’s circular, a candidate must secure at least one-eighth of the total votes cast to retain their deposit. In this case, the threshold was over 23,000 votes. Failing to meet this requirement, the NCP candidate’s deposit was forfeited.

Two other candidates in the same constituency also lost their deposits. Across Chattogram’s 16 constituencies, BNP won 14 seats, while Jamaat candidates won the remaining two.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman expressed gratitude to supporters who gathered outside his Gulshan residence in Dhaka on Friday, February 13, 2026. Before attending Friday prayers, he stopped his car to meet the crowd, thanked them for their love and support, and asked for their prayers. Many in the crowd said they wanted to join him in building a new Bangladesh.

The gathering followed the 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum held the previous day, in which the BNP won more than two-thirds of the seats, positioning the party to form the next government after nearly two decades. According to party decisions, Tarique Rahman, who won both Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6 constituencies, is set to become the next Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

After meeting supporters, Tarique Rahman performed Friday prayers at the Bangladesh Navy Headquarters Mosque in Dhaka.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated that maintaining law and order, curbing corruption, and revitalizing the economy will be the main challenges for the next government. He made the remarks on Friday afternoon while speaking to journalists outside the domestic terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after returning to Dhaka from his constituency in Thakurgaon. Fakhrul emphasized that ensuring justice will also be a crucial task for the incoming administration.

He noted that the BNP won 209 out of 299 seats in the 13th national parliamentary election and will form the next government under the leadership of party chairman Tarique Rahman. Reflecting on the election results, Fakhrul described his feelings as both joyous and sorrowful, expressing regret that the late party chairperson Khaleda Zia could not witness the victory. He praised the election as festive, transparent, and the result of a mass uprising.

Responding to a question about the absence of the Awami League in the election, Fakhrul said the Election Commission had already banned the party’s activities and that further decisions would emerge from the political context.

The Election Commission has unofficially announced final results for 297 constituencies in Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliamentary Election. According to the report, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured 209 seats, while Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami won 68 seats and the NCP obtained six. Following the vote, attention has turned to the formation of a new cabinet.

The government has indicated that the new cabinet could be formed by February 18. Newly elected members of parliament are expected to take their oaths on February 16, after which the process of forming the new government will begin. Within two days of the oath-taking, the cabinet is expected to be sworn in.

BNP, having won the highest number of seats, will lead the new government, with its chairman Tarique Rahman set to become the parliamentary leader and prime minister. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, as the second-largest party, is expected to serve as the main opposition in the new parliament.

Violent clashes erupted in Jagannathpur area of Durlabhpur Union under Shibganj upazila, Chapainawabganj, following the announcement of local election results. The incidents occurred on Thursday evening and Friday morning, involving attacks, vandalism, and arson at two houses. At least three to four people were injured in the two rounds of violence, which stemmed from disputes between supporters of the BNP and Jamaat over vote counts.

According to local sources, the BNP had traditionally received more votes in the Jagannathpur and Piyalimari polling centers. In the latest election, BNP secured about 1,400 votes while Jamaat received around 1,000. Tensions flared after Jamaat supporters celebrated their results, prompting allegations that some BNP activists threw stones, leading to clashes. Police and administration intervened to restore order, but renewed violence broke out the next morning, targeting the homes of Babar Ali and his cousin Sadikul Islam.

Police reported that dissatisfaction over narrow vote margins triggered the attacks. Law enforcement and Border Guard Bangladesh have been deployed under an executive magistrate’s supervision, and the situation is now under control.

At least 13 people were injured in three separate incidents of post-election violence in Jhenaidah on Friday, according to local reports. The clashes occurred in Kaliganj and Sadar upazilas, where supporters of different electoral symbols and an independent candidate confronted each other. An independent candidate’s campaign office in Kaliganj town was attacked and vandalized, leaving three BNP leaders injured, one of whom was later transferred to Jashore General Hospital.

In another incident in the Naldanga Union of Jhenaidah Sadar, supporters of the ‘paddy sheaf’ and ‘cup-plate’ symbols clashed, injuring five people, one critically. Additional violence was reported in Khadashuni village, where a supporter of the ‘cup-plate’ symbol was allegedly attacked. Earlier in the morning, three more people were injured in a confrontation between ‘paddy sheaf’ and independent supporters in Khalkula village of Kaliganj.

Police said they were investigating the incidents and had deployed forces to the affected areas. They pledged to identify and take legal action against those involved.

The central executive council meeting of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is currently underway at the party’s central office under the chairmanship of Ameer Shafiqur Rahman. According to the report, a press conference is expected to be held following the meeting.

Earlier on Friday morning, the party’s Moghbazar office in Dhaka appeared largely empty, with few leaders or activists present. However, the situation began to change after noon as both journalists and party members started arriving in greater numbers, creating a more active environment around the office.

The meeting marks a significant internal gathering for the party, though the agenda and discussion points have not been disclosed. The upcoming press conference is expected to provide further details on the outcomes of the session.

Mohammad Aminul Haque, a rival candidate in the 13th National Parliamentary Election, has demanded suspension of the results for Dhaka-16 constituency, citing widespread irregularities, corruption, and vote rigging. On Friday, he submitted a written petition to the Returning Officer at the Election Commission Secretariat, calling for an investigation and re-voting in disputed centers.

In his petition, Haque alleged serious violations of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) 1972 and the electoral code of conduct during the February 12 election. He claimed to possess video evidence of money distribution by an opposing candidate on the eve of the vote and said polling agents were intimidated and expelled from centers. According to him, result sheets were prepared without agents’ signatures in over 40 centers, and in some cases, signatures were taken before vote counting. He also alleged that voters were obstructed from entering centers and that pre-stamped ballot books were found before polling began.

Haque further stated that discrepancies existed between announced results and those provided by presiding officers and postal votes. Having received no remedy from the Assistant Returning Officer, he invoked section 91A of the RPO, seeking suspension of results and formation of a high-level investigation committee.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders extended floral greetings to party chairman Tarique Rahman following the party’s sweeping victory in the general election. The event took place at Rahman’s office, where Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, along with Standing Committee members Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, and other senior leaders, congratulated him. The celebration marked what party officials described as the beginning of a new political chapter in the country.

During the gathering, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated that the victory represented not only a party success but also a triumph for the people, reflecting their support for democracy and development after a long struggle. He expressed hope that under Tarique Rahman’s leadership, Bangladesh would enter a new era of progress.

Accepting the floral greetings, Tarique Rahman thanked party members and citizens, pledging to fulfill public expectations by building a democratic, prosperous, and equitable Bangladesh.

The United Kingdom’s High Court has ruled that the government’s decision to designate the activist group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was unlawful. The ruling, delivered in London after several months of legal proceedings, came in response to a judicial review petition filed by the group’s co-founder Huda Ammori. Justice Victoria Sharp stated that the government’s ban represented a serious interference with freedom of expression and assembly, and therefore lacked legal justification.

The British government had imposed the ban in July 2025 under anti-terrorism legislation, making membership, public support, or display of the group’s symbols a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Following the ban, hundreds of people across the UK were arrested and charged under terrorism laws. The government justified the prohibition by citing an incident in which activists allegedly caused £7 million in damage at a southern England airbase during protests over the Gaza conflict.

The High Court’s decision removes the terrorist label from Palestine Action and has reignited political and legal debate over the government’s handling of protest movements related to the Gaza war.