In the post-pandemic era of 2026, strengthening children’s immunity centres on a holistic approach that integrates essential micronutrients, gut-supporting probiotics, and a balanced “rainbow" diet to build long-term resilience against recurring infections.In the post-pandemic era of 2026
US President Donald Trump framed his sweeping rollback of federal climate change policy on Thursday as a political win over the Democratic Party's "radical" environmental agenda, reprising a message Republicans have used in past elections and could turn to once again ahead of November's crucial
Distributor Indraprastha Gas Ltd. (IGL)’s net profit spurred 25% on a year-over-year (YoY) basis in the December-end quarter helped by increase in sales and better realisations from every standard cubic metre (SCM) sold. IGL’s net profits increased 25% YoY to ₹358
Pop star Taylor Swift has asked the US government to stop a bedding company's attempt to trademark the phrase "Swift Home", saying it could mislead consumers into believing she had endorsed their products. Her legal team argued that the way Cathay Home has styled the word "Swift" in its branding
Manipur, in India's northeast, has a new chief minister after being under direct federal rule, which was imposed a year ago, following ethnic violence that left more than 260 people dead. Yumnam Khemchand Singh, a fifth-dan black belt in Korean martial art taekwondo, took oath last week
Tarique Rahman: Meet Sheikh Hasina's arch rival's son who is set to govern Bangladesh after BNP's huge victory
Bangladesh's opposition BNP has secured a decisive majority in the country's first parliamentary election since the 2024 uprising, positioning acting chairman Tarique Rahman at the center of power. This historic victory marks a break from Sheikh Hasina's long dominance, with Rahman's return from exile re-energizing the party and reshaping the political landscape.
Bangladesh’s opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has swept the country’s first parliamentary election since the 2024 uprising, securing a commanding majority that positions its acting chairman Tarique Rahman at the centre of power in Dhaka.
Local television tallies showed the BNP-led coalition winning 209 of the 300 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, a decisive mandate in a vote widely viewed as crucial to restoring stability after months of unrest.
The election marked a historic break from the long dominance of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, whose Awami League was barred from contesting after her ouster during the Gen-Z-driven protests of 2024. Turnout appeared set to exceed the previous national vote, with more than 2,000 candidates and dozens of parties contesting seats in what observers described as Bangladesh’s most competitive election in years.
For the BNP, the result does more than secure parliamentary control--it shows the political ascent of Tarique Rahman, long seen as heir to a dynasty that has shaped Bangladesh’s power struggles for three decades.
Also read: Bangladesh's BNP wins big in historic parliamentary election
Who is Tarique Rahman?
Rahman, now a 60-year-old, is the elder son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, a role he exercised for years from self-exile in London after leaving Bangladesh in 2008 for medical treatment amid mounting legal and political pressure.Multiple convictions--including corruption cases and charges tied to an alleged assassination plot against former premier Sheikh Hasina--had long barred his return and kept him physically distant from the country’s turbulent politics even as he remained central to BNP strategy.
Over the past year, however, Bangladesh’s higher judiciary overturned or dismissed the most consequential cases against him, including those linked to the 2004 grenade attack and graft allegations.
The rulings dismantled the legal architecture that had confined him abroad for more than 17 years and cleared the path for a dramatic political homecoming. His return just weeks before the national election injected fresh energy into BNP ranks, transforming what had been an opposition campaign into a leadership restoration narrative centred on dynastic continuity and political revival.
Rahman’s influence extends beyond symbolism. During his years in exile, he functioned as the party’s de facto decision-maker, shaping alliances, messaging and organisational strategy from afar, while his mother’s ill health gradually shifted authority toward him.
When he finally stepped back onto Bangladeshi soil, supporters framed the moment as the culmination of a long political interregnum, casting him not merely as Khaleda Zia’s heir but as the figure meant to redefine BNP rule in a post-Hasina era.
As reported by ET in December, party loyalists increasingly viewed him as the undisputed leader and a prime-minister-in-waiting should the BNP secure a governing majority.
Also read: Tarique Rahman finally steps into the spotlight, set to be Bangladesh PM
Khaleda Zia’s exiled son to take her throne
Bangladesh’s modern politics has long revolved around the rivalry between Khaleda Zia and Hasina. With Zia elderly and in fragile health, the BNP has increasingly looked to Rahman to inherit both leadership and legacy.The party’s sweeping victory now places him at the threshold of national leadership. Campaign promises centred on economic revival, anti-corruption drives, limits on prime-ministerial tenure and financial support for poorer households—an agenda aimed at signalling both reform and continuity after years of political turbulence.
Rival Jamaat-e-Islami, which led the main opposition alliance in the vote, conceded defeat and pledged “positive politics,” underscoring the scale of the BNP’s mandate. A youth-driven party born from the anti-Hasina protests secured only a handful of seats, highlighting how decisively the electorate consolidated around the BNP.
Also read: Rise of a new power player in South Asia: Profound changes on cards for India, China
Sheikh Hasina refuses to concede defeat
Hasina, currently in self-imposed exile in India, rejected the election outcome, calling the process a “carefully planned farce” conducted without genuine participation from her party’s supporters. She demanded the cancellation of what she described as an illegal and unconstitutional vote and called for fresh elections under a neutral caretaker administration.Her absence has also reshaped regional geopolitics. Strained ties with India and the possibility of expanding influence by China form part of the broader strategic backdrop against which Bangladesh’s leadership transition is unfolding.
Yet on the streets of Dhaka and across the country, the BNP’s victory is being read less as a geopolitical pivot and more as the closing chapter of the Hasina era—and the opening act of Tarique Rahman’s long-awaited rise to power.
Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!
Source: EconomicTimes
Related Posts: New Bangladesh Begins Today MG Majestor set for India launch tomorrow Bangladesh Election Voting begins in first national election since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster Japan scrambles to meet $550 billion US pledge deadline 32.8% turnout recorded till noon in first election held since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster Polls close in first election since Gen Z protests ousted Bangladesh leader Fortuner's rival MG Majestor unveiled Trial date set for Trump's legal case against BBC Bangladesh election 2026
The RBI Currency Update 2026 has generated discussion across banking circles and among everyday cash users, particularly regarding refinements to Rs 100 and Rs 500 notes. While digital payments continue to expand in India, cash remains central to retail markets, rural trade
2 minutes ago
Indian men’s hockey might have had its nemesis in Australia through the ages but the team lived through a fresh 60-minute nightmare at the Birsa Munda Stadium on Thursday, suffering a 8-0 humiliation against Argentina in its second FIH Pro League outing
1 minutes ago
India’s revised consumer price index (CPI) series, set to be released on February 12, marks a major shift in how inflation is measured India’s revised consumer price index (CPI) series, set to be released on February 12, marks a major shift in how inflation is measured
2 minutes ago
In the early 1980s, Sweden and India each launched programmes to modernise their air forces with light and single-engine fighter jets. The Saab JAS-39 Gripen became a global success thanks to fast decision-making and a robust system, while India’s HAL Tejas, despite its technical achievements
2 minutes ago
Bangladesh's opposition BNP has secured a decisive majority in the country's first parliamentary election since the 2024 uprising, positioning acting chairman Tarique Rahman at the center of power. This historic victory marks a break from Sheikh Hasina's long dominance
1 minutes ago
Israel has asked a court to revoke the citizenship of two men convicted of terrorism offences, in what appears to be the first test of a law allowing the deportation of Palestinian citizens convicted of certain violent crimes. Court documents filed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday
2 minutes ago
The NBA is accelerating plans to launch a European league, with deputy commissioner Mark Tatum confirming that initial responses from prospective investors are expected by the end of March. “We’ve told the potential investors we need to know their level of interest by the end of March
2 minutes ago
The former South African international, is currently part of Italy team in their maiden World Cup campaign, despite the fact that he has never actually set foot on Italian soil. The T20 World Cup has always been a stage for the unexpected, but the 2026 edition has produced one of the most
2 minutes ago
Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, HCL Technologies and other IT heavyweights are expected to stay under pressure on Friday after a steep sell-off in the previous session. Persistent concerns over artificial intelligence (AI)-led disruption and weak global technology sentiment
2 minutes ago
Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister M K Stalin has recently distributed Rs 5,000 to a remarkable 1.31 crore women through the Kalaignar Women's Entitlement scheme. With a keen eye on the forthcoming Assembly elections, he has promised to boost the monthly allowance to Rs 2
1 minutes ago
Gold Rate Today: Investment in gold is relatively stable compared to many other assets, but it does not generate regular income like dividends or interest. Gold Rate Today: Gold prices in India saw a decline on Friday, February 13, 2026, retreating from their recent record highs
2 minutes ago
In January alone, the volume of outbound mergers and acquisitions from Greater China approached $12 billion, the most for the first month of a year since 2017. The shopping list included high-profile names like German sports brand Puma SE and Canadian miner Allied Gold Corp.In January alone
2 minutes ago
Nobody can keep politics out of sport. And funnily enough, out of all people, Kirsty Coventry had to learn it the hard way. Just months into her presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Coventry has been handed a defining test at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics
2 minutes ago
Mahindra UDO EV: Mahindra unveiled a new electric three-wheeler, the Mahindra UDO. It is priced at Rs 3,84,299 (ex-showroom), with a limited-period introductory price of Rs 3,58,999. Mahindra UDO EV: Mahindra unveiled a new electric three-wheeler, the Mahindra UDO, on February 12, 2026
1 minutes ago
O'Romeo is a 2026 Indian Hindi-language romantic action thriller written and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. New Delhi: Shahid Kapoor’s much-awaited film O Romeo, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, is set to hit theatres on February 13. Ahead of its release
1 minutes ago
With these five simple words, a Hindu man who stood up for a Muslim shopkeeper has been catapulted to fame and become an unlikely hero in India. Deepak Kumar has been praised as an "icon for secular India" and a "posterboy for India's pluralism". At the same time, he has faced noisy protests
2 minutes ago
O’Romeo X movie review: The action drama also features Nana Patekar, Vikrant Massey, Avinash Tiwary among others in pivotal parts. O’Romeo X Twitter movie review: Renowned filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj is out with his latest gritty actioner O'Romeo starring Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri in the
1 minutes ago
The largest US electric utilities are ramping up spending on new power infrastructure to meet surging demand from data centers, with companies like American Electric Power and Exelon unveiling expanded investment plans on Thursday and fielding questions about rising power bills
1 minutes ago
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by Tarique Rahman on Friday claimed victory in Bangladesh’s 13th national parliamentary election, with it projected to have won 209 of the 299 constituencies so far, Reuters quoted local TV news as reporting The Islamist party
1 minutes ago
The New South Wales (NSW) Police watchdog will investigate allegations of misconduct against officers after violent clashes with crowds protesting a visit by the Israeli president this week. The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission said it had decided it was "in the public interest" to investigate
1 minutes ago
The Congress on Thursday (February 12, 2026) demanded the resignation of Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri after his name came up in the Epstein Files. Responding to Mr. Puri’s explanation that he was in touch with the late Jeffrey Epstein
1 minutes ago
The Nifty 50 index was down at 25,571.15, declining by 236.05 points or (-0.91 per cent). The BSE Sensex also opened lower at 82,902.73, falling by 772.19 points or -0.92 per cent. Mumbai: The domestic benchmark indices opened under pressure on Friday
2 minutes ago
Russia announced Thursday it had blocked WhatsApp over its alleged failure to comply with Russian legislation, days after restricting access to rival messaging service Telegram for similar reasons.Moscow has for months been trying to shift users onto Max
2 minutes ago
The repeal of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme amounts to an “assault on Gandhian principles of local governance and Ambedkar’s vision of empowering people with rights”, a group of 88 former bureaucrats said on Thursday. The retired bureaucrats
1 minutes ago
Maha Shivaratri 2026 Mantras: Devotees observe day-long fasts, visit temples, chant mantras, and perform rituals seeking blessings for peace, prosperity and spiritual growth. Maha Shivaratri 2026 Mantras: The sacred occasion of Maha Shivaratri will be celebrated on February 15 by devotees this year
1 minutes ago
Usman Tariq, a Pakistani spin bowler, is making waves at the T20 World Cup with his unusual bowling style. His pause and sling action have drawn attention and accusations of illegal bowling. Despite being reported twice, he has been cleared. Tariq's unique approach has already flummoxed top batsmen
1 minutes ago
The Board of Secondary Education (BSE) Odisha has released the results of the Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) 2026 today, February 12. Candidates who took the OTET exam can now access their scorecards on the board’s official website at bseodisha.ac.in. To download their scorecards
1 minutes ago
