The Editorial Page: India-US deal could have been a moment missed. It is a moment seized 8 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2026 JOURNALISM of COURAGE KOLKATA, LATE CITy, 16 PAGES ₹6.00 (₹12 in North East states, ₹20 in Andaman) l www.indianexpress.com DA I Ly F R O M : A H M E DA B A D , C H A N D I GA R H , D E L H I , j A I P U R , KO L K ATA , L U C K N O W , M U M B A I , N AG P U R , PAT N A , P U N E , VA D O DA R A PROPOSALS OF RS 3.60 LAKH CR OKAYED Bangladesh-style zero-duty textile access for India in US deal: Goyal Another 114 Rafale for IAF get Defence council nod Ravi Dutta Mishra New Delhi, February 12 THE INDIA-US trade deal, which is expected to be signed next month, will also have provisions similar to the Bangladesh-US deal that allow limited quality of textile and clothing to be exported to the US at zero reciprocal duty, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. Goyal’s statement comes amid concerns among Indian garment manufacturers that their products would continue to face an 18 per cent disadvantage compared to Bangladeshi exports after Dhaka struck a fresh US trade deal this week. “Bangladesh has received a benefit under its trade deal with the US of exporting textiles and garments [in quota] at zeroreciprocaldutyiftheypurchaserawmaterialfromtheUS. 90 aircraft to be made in India; more Boeing P-8Is, combat missiles cleared Union Minister Piyush Goyal at an event in New Delhi. ANI Business as Usual By EP UNNY INsIDE ExPrEss IN PAGE 3 TRACK THIS AND MORE ON www.INDIANExPrEss.cOm Bengalnurse who‘recovered’ fromNipahdies, officialssay cardiacarrest Sweety Kumari Kolkata, February 12 A 25-YEAR-OLD nurse in West Bengal’s Barasat, who was infectedwiththeNipahvirusand later tested negative, died on Thursday. Health officials said she died of cardiac arrest, and her death was not caused by Nipah infection. According to hospital sources, she was admitted in the Critical Care Unit (CCU) for over a month and developed a secondary infection in her lungs. She was a resident of Katwa in Purba Bardhaman district. “Her latest laboratory reports returned negative for Nipah, confirming that the cause of her death was cardiac arrest,”saidPrincipalSecretary (Health) Narayan Swaroop Nigam. Two confirmed cases of Nipah infection were reported from West Bengal since December, according to reports from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). DHAKA Shubhajit Roy lTHE PM WILL CHAIR the last Cabinet meeting at South Block. After this, the PMO will shift to the new ‘Seva Teerth’ complex. New Delhi, February 12 First elections after Hasina’s ouster: Dhaka votes, waits to turn new page »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Happening today Amrita Nayak Dutta At a polling station in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Thursday. AP ExPLAINED: NOT jUST POLLS, REFERENDUM ALSO KEY, PAGE 12 February 12 MAHUA SAYS UP COPS SHIELdEd ACCUSEd AS BANGLADESH voted Thursday in its first national elections since the collapse of theSheikhHasinagovernment in August 2024 following stu- dent-led street protests, the centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) hoped the polls would “usher in” democracy while main rival Jamaate-Islami exuded confidence of a “landslide victory”. Prof Mohammed Yunus, who has led the country’s interim government as its chief advisor, urged voters to make the day of elections the “birthday of a new Bangladesh”. With results expected Friday, voter turnout in the country’s 13th parliamentary BNP chief Tarique Rahman casts his vote in Dhaka. His party was leading in early trends. ANI election was about 48 per cent until 2 pm, before the polls closed at 4.30 pm — indicating a slow poll process with voting taking place on two issues. Eachvoterhastovoteforan MPcandidateandforareferendum on Constitutional reforms. The reforms limit the Prime Minister's term to 10 years, reinstate the caretaker government, introduce a bicameral parliament and grant more independence to the judiciary, among other issues. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 TARGETS PM AGAIN OVER TRADE DEAL ‘Not budging’: Rahul after BJP MP seeks his expulsion from LS Liz Mathew & Asad Rehman New Delhi, February 12 AS BJP MP Nishikant Dubey gave notice Thursday for a substantive motion against Rahul Gandhiseekinghis“immediate expulsion”fromLokSabha,the Leader of Opposition again targeted the Prime Minister and the government over the trade deal with the US and told them “do whatever you want, I am Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi outside Parliament House on Thursday. PTI standingwiththefarmers”and “will not budge even an inch”. Gandhi’s remarks came a day after he mounted a sharp attack on the government in Lok Sabha, accusing it of compromisingIndia’senergysecurity and farm interests in the trade deal with the US. On Thursday, BJP’s Dubey submitted a notice on a substantive motion, seeking »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is guest at Adda today »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Express News Service New Delhi, February 12 THE NATIONAL Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has been among the centrepieces of the NDA Government’s initiatives, as the country's education systemadaptstoaworldalteredby rapid changes in technology. Education Minister DharmendraPradhan,whohasbeen steering the process, will be the »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Pradhan is steering changes in India’s education system l HE STOOD UP TO A GROUP OF MEN HARASSING A MUSLIM SHOPKEEPER His business hit, ‘Mohammad’ Deepak gets help from 15 SC Senior Advocates Aiswarya Raj stood up to a group of men who were harassing a 70-year-old Muslimshopkeeper,whosuffers THE LEGAL fraternity has from Parkinson’s disease, to steppedintosave‘Mohammad’ drop the word “Baba” from his Deepak’s gym in Kotdwar fol- shop’s name. During the conlowing a dip in membership frontation, when asked his and revenue. name, he told the PAGE 1 Following The crowditwasMohammadDeepak.Avideo IndianExpressreport on the collapse of of the confrontation Hulk Gym’s membership from went viral, thrusting Deepak 150 to 15 members, the legal fra- intothelimelightbutalsobringternity,comprising15SeniorAd- ing unwanted attention. On Javocates of the Supreme Court, nuary31,severalmembersofthe has stepped up to help sustain BajrangDalgatheredtoconfront Deepak Kumar’s livelihood. Deepak, but were restrained by On January 26, Deepak (38) the police. Dehradun, February 12 anchor Deepak runs the Hulk Gym in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand A week later, the town, cleavedintotwo,hasthosewho extended solidarity and those whofeelantagonisedbyhisact. “Half of the town supports me, but people do not applaud when you do good deeds. Honesty might come at a price,” he had told The Indian Express. The dip in gym membership meant Kumar was strugglingtopaythemonthlyrentof Rs 40,000 for the establishment, and the loan he borrowed to build a house. Following the report, the Senior Advocates have pitched in Rs 10,000 each as a one-year membership fee. The move, they said, was inspired by the act of CPI(M) MP John Brittas, »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Kolkata MOVING TO close one of India’s largest military deals, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) Thursday cleared a proposaltopurchase114Rafale multirole fighter aircraft from France under an inter-governmental deal. Top government officials told TheIndianExpressthat 90 of these aircraft for the Indian Air Force would be manufactured in India. The proposal’s clearance by the DAC, headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, comes days before the arrival in India ofFrenchPresidentEmmanuel Macron. On a three-day visit starting February 17, Macron will be attending the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi and will also hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The IAF already operates 36 Rafale aircraft. X/@IAF_MCC E. ExPlAINED Why this is critical The induction of 114 Rafale will fill a critical capability gap. The IAF squadron strength is down to 29 as against the sanctioned 42 squadrons and this is a worry given the situation along the frontiers with Pakistan and China. India’s own Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft is at least a decade away. A final agreement will be signed once commercial negotiations conclude and the CabinetCommitteeonSecurity »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2