In the recently held 13th National Parliamentary Election, four out of seven candidates in the Dinajpur-5 (Parbatipur-Phulbari) constituency lost their security deposits for failing to secure the required number of votes. According to the Election Commission’s circular, a candidate must obtain at least one-eighth of the total votes cast in the constituency to retain the deposit of 50,000 taka. Based on the total votes, a minimum of 42,329 votes was needed. The four candidates who failed to meet this threshold were Md. Kazi Abdul Gafur of the Jatiya Party, and independent candidates S.M. Zakaria Bacchu, Md. Hazrat Ali Belal, and Md. Rustam Ali.

A total of 338,634 out of 477,516 registered voters cast their ballots across 141 polling centers, marking a turnout rate of about 72 percent. Independent candidate A.Z.M. Rezwanul Haque won the seat unofficially with 113,650 votes, defeating his nearest rival, Jamaat-NCP alliance candidate Dr. Abdul Ahad, who received 108,948 votes. BNP candidate A.K.M. Kamruzzaman secured 97,727 votes.

Assistant Returning Officer and Upazila Nirbahi Officer Saddam Hossain confirmed that four candidates’ deposits were forfeited in this constituency.

AB Party General Secretary Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad has warned that some BNP leaders and activists are turning into what he described as 'neo-Awami fascists'. He cautioned that if Tarique Rahman fails to control such elements within the party, a dire future awaits him. Fuad made these remarks on Sunday morning at a press conference held at the Barishal Press Club auditorium, addressing alleged irregularities, chaos, and harassment in the Barishal-3 constituency election.

Fuad criticized the administration for failing to ensure a fair election, saying it could not create a level playing field. He expressed disappointment that even after 55 years, candidates still cannot seek votes from people associated with violence, calling it a national shame. He emphasized that these issues will persist until the nation resolves its moral character.

Fuad further stated that the BNP’s 31-point agenda must be implemented in reality, not just on paper, as the public expects tangible action from the party.

The United Kingdom has alleged that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was killed by poisoning, based on findings presented at a security conference in Berlin on Saturday. British representatives said they and their allies verified samples from Navalny’s body, concluding that a toxic substance was used. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that only the Russian government had the means to carry out such poisoning.

Navalny died two years ago while imprisoned in a Siberian facility. According to Russia’s state news agency TASS, Moscow dismissed the British claim as propaganda. Cooper said tests revealed the presence of epibatidine, a poison naturally found in certain South American frogs, and argued that it could not occur naturally in Russia or be produced by prisoners or domestic animals.

Cooper added that Russia viewed Navalny as a threat and that the use of such a rare toxin demonstrated the government’s fear of political opposition.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has taken responsibility for the families of two party workers who recently died in Kishoreganj. On Sunday morning, he visited the families of Abdus Salam from Katiadi and Shah Alam from Itna to offer condolences and announced his decision to support them. Before meeting the families, he visited the graves of the two deceased workers.

During the visit, Dr. Rahman criticized certain individuals who, according to him, only show sympathy to poor people during elections but later distance themselves. Kishoreganj district Jamaat Ameer Professor Ramzan Ali and other local leaders were also present during the visit.

According to the report, Abdus Salam died in a road accident on February 3 while returning from a Jamaat election rally at Katiadi Government College field, and Shah Alam died of a stroke on February 8 on his way to another rally in Itna.

Six candidates contesting in the Pabna-3 constituency, covering Bhangura, Faridpur, and Chatmohar, lost their election deposits in the 13th National Parliamentary Election. According to the Upazila Election Office, the constituency had a total of 486,804 registered voters, with 341,811 votes cast, marking a turnout of 70.22 percent.

The candidates who forfeited their deposits are independent and BNP rebel candidate and former MP K.M. Anowarul Islam (Horse), Hasanul Islam Raja of Gano Odhikar Parishad (Truck), Md. Abdul Khalek of Islami Andolan Bangladesh (Hand Fan), Mir Nadim Mohammad Dablue of Jatiya Party (Plough), Mahbubur Rahman Joy Chowdhury of Bangladesh Supreme Party (Ektara), and Sardar Asha Parvez of Gano Forum (Rising Sun). Their vote counts ranged from 38,027 to 173.

Under Election Commission rules, candidates failing to secure one-eighth of the total votes cast lose their deposits, leading to the forfeiture of these six candidates’ deposits in Pabna-3.

An eleven-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami has announced a protest rally in Dhaka on Monday afternoon to demand an end to post-election violence. The announcement came on Sunday after a meeting with the Election Commission, where former MP Hamidur Rahman Azad told reporters that attacks were being carried out on the homes of alliance leaders and activists following the election. The protest march will begin from Baitul Mukarram in the capital.

According to the report, leaders of the eleven-party alliance also met the Chief Election Commissioner in Agargaon at 11:40 a.m. to demand a recount of votes in 30 constituencies. They alleged irregularities, including vote rigging, manipulation, and tampering with result sheets during the 13th National Parliamentary Election.

The alliance’s planned demonstration aims to draw attention to alleged election irregularities and violence targeting its supporters, as well as to press for a transparent review of disputed results.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman on Sunday, February 15, 2026, visited Shimulbakh Dakshinhati in Itna upazila of Kishoreganj to meet the family of Shah Alam, a party supporter who died earlier this month. At a memorial gathering, he said that respecting ordinary people is a matter of faith for him and described the sweat of farmers and laborers as fragrant, symbolizing their honest livelihood. He emphasized his rural roots, noting that dishonoring workers would be akin to disrespecting his own father.

During the event, Rahman announced that he would take responsibility for Shah Alam’s family as long as he remains in office and expressed hope that future leaders would continue this commitment. After the memorial, he planned to visit the family of Abdus Salam, another activist who died in a road accident on February 3 after a political rally in Katiadi. Senior Jamaat leaders, including Dr. Samiul Haque Faruqi and Professor Md. Ramzan Ali, were present at the memorial.

The visit followed two recent deaths of party supporters during election-related activities in Kishoreganj earlier in February.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman is scheduled to visit Noakhali on Sunday to meet a woman who was allegedly assaulted in Hatiya after voting for the Shapla symbol. His personal secretary Nazrul Islam confirmed that he will travel by helicopter. The woman, a mother of three, is currently receiving treatment at Noakhali General Hospital. On Saturday night, Dr. Rahman spoke with the victim and her family via video call, assuring them of his visit. National Citizen Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam is also expected to accompany him.

District Jamaat Ameer Ishaq Khondakar said Dr. Rahman described the victim as his sister during the call, while Nahid Islam addressed her as a mother and expressed solidarity. NCP’s senior joint chief coordinator for Noakhali-6, Abdul Hannan Masud, alleged that supporters of a rival faction carried out violence in Hatiya under the direction of Mahbubur Rahman Shamim. He claimed the assault was part of a broader campaign of intimidation against NCP supporters.

According to reports, the attack occurred on Friday night, February 13, in the Dhanashiri Ashrayan Project area of Chanandi Union, where several men tied up the victim’s husband and assaulted her for voting for the NCP.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidate Syed M. Faisal has won the Habiganj-4 (Madhabpur-Chunarughat) constituency in the 13th National Parliamentary Election, marking the party’s return to the seat after nearly three decades. According to the official gazette, Faisal secured 188,072 votes under the paddy sheaf symbol, defeating Islami Front Bangladesh’s Gias Uddin At-Taheri, who received 84,323 votes. Faisal’s victory margin stood at 103,749 votes, sparking celebrations across the constituency as BNP supporters rejoiced at reclaiming the seat.

Faisal, who previously served as a Member of Parliament in 1996, has contested multiple elections since 1991. Despite facing political challenges and legal pressures, he maintained close ties with local residents. Analysts attribute his success to extensive grassroots campaigning, particularly outreach to tea garden workers led by his son Syed Shafkat Ahmed. Local observers described Faisal as an honest and dedicated politician with a clean image.

Following the result, residents expressed new hopes for development and suggested that Faisal’s inclusion in the cabinet would bring pride to Habiganj and strengthen administrative transparency.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed on a national highway in Moran, Assam, near the Bangladesh border, aboard a C-130J aircraft on February 15, 2026. The landing took place on the region’s first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF), built to serve as both a highway and an airstrip for relief and rescue operations during emergencies. The event marked the beginning of Modi’s one-day visit to the state ahead of upcoming elections.

Following the landing, Modi observed a 40-minute air show featuring Tejas, Sukhoi, and Rafale fighter jets. According to reports, the Moran ELF holds significant strategic value due to its proximity to key borders—approximately 600 kilometers from Bangladesh’s Sylhet border, 700 kilometers from Rangpur, and 450 kilometers from China. The facility can serve as an alternative to Dibrugarh Airport or Chabua Air Base if needed during emergencies.

The demonstration highlighted India’s growing focus on dual-use infrastructure in its northeastern region, enhancing both defense readiness and disaster response capabilities.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed to increase economic pressure on Iran, according to a report by Axios citing two American officials. The agreement was reached during a meeting at the White House on Wednesday, officials said. A senior U.S. official stated that both leaders concurred on applying maximum pressure against Iran, particularly targeting its oil sales to China.

However, the two leaders reportedly differ on how to achieve this goal. Netanyahu told Trump that a reliable agreement with Iran was impossible and would likely be violated, while Trump maintained that reaching a deal with Tehran was still possible. Officials added that Washington would continue efforts to exert maximum pressure on Iran alongside nuclear discussions and a strengthened military presence in the Middle East, leaving open the option of military action if diplomacy fails.

The report noted that over 80 percent of Iran’s oil exports go to China, meaning a reduction in Chinese purchases could significantly intensify Tehran’s economic strain.

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) has described Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliamentary Election as peaceful and credible. The observation came during a press briefing held on Sunday morning in Dhaka’s Gulshan area, where ANFREL presented its preliminary report on the national election and referendum observation. ANFREL Chairperson Sohana N. Hettiarachchi urged authorities to ensure more transparency in the vote counting process.

During the briefing, Hettiarachchi emphasized that political parties have a responsibility to encourage greater participation of young and female voters in future elections. The organization’s statement highlighted both the overall peaceful conduct of the polls and the need for continued improvements in electoral transparency.

The preliminary findings suggest that while the election process was largely credible, further steps toward openness in vote counting could strengthen public confidence in Bangladesh’s electoral system.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that President Donald Trump is ready to hold talks with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Speaking to Bloomberg, Rubio stated that the president is willing to meet anyone if it helps resolve global issues, adding that Trump is interested in reaching an agreement with Tehran.

Rubio explained that Trump believes dialogue is the best way to solve the world’s problems. The statement comes as the United States and Iran recently held discussions over Iran’s nuclear program and are preparing for a second round of talks. Despite this diplomatic engagement, Washington continues to strengthen its military presence in the Middle East.

President Trump also announced that the USS Gerald R. Ford, the United States’ largest and most advanced aircraft carrier, will soon move from the Caribbean to the Middle East, signaling continued strategic focus on the region.

In the 13th National Parliamentary Election, Amjanata Party’s member secretary Md. Tarek Rahman lost his deposit after securing only 1,044 votes in the Dhaka-12 constituency. According to the official results, a total of 122,268 valid votes were cast, representing 37.42 percent of total ballots. Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Saiful Alam won the seat with 53,773 votes, while the Revolutionary Workers Party’s general secretary, contesting with the spade symbol, received 30,963 votes. There were 2,444 invalid ballots, meaning Rahman received fewer votes than the number of rejected ones.

The Election Commission circular states that any candidate failing to secure one-eighth of the total votes in their constituency forfeits their deposit. For parliamentary seats, the deposit amount is set at 25,000 taka. After elections, forfeited deposits are transferred to the government treasury through the Accountant General’s Office. The report notes that many candidates across constituencies lost their deposits this time, though the exact number remains unknown.

The Election Commission also indicated that some leading contenders in various constituencies did not receive enough votes to reclaim their deposits, a recurring pattern in national elections.

Italy’s right-wing government has approved a draft law aimed at curbing irregular migration across the Mediterranean. The bill, endorsed by the cabinet on Wednesday, allows temporary naval blockades to prevent migrant boats from entering Italian territorial waters during exceptional pressure situations. Authorities may invoke the measure when national security risks are identified, such as potential terrorist threats or infiltration attempts.

The proposal comes as Italy continues to face heavy migration flows through the central Mediterranean route, with thousands arriving by sea each year. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has pledged stricter maritime controls. The draft must still pass both chambers of parliament before taking effect. If approved, Italy could revive its plan to process asylum applications in centers located in Albania, a scheme currently suspended by court rulings.

Under the bill, migrant vessels could be barred for up to 30 days, extendable to six months in severe security cases. Violations may result in fines up to 50,000 euros and vessel confiscation. Observers suggest the measure may particularly affect humanitarian rescue ships. The draft was approved a day after the European Union adopted its new migration and asylum pact.