The Editorial Page: In Bangladesh, a new political moment — and a fragile equilibrium 10 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2026 JOURNALISM of COURAGE KOLKATA, LATE CITY, 24 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 happening today Seva Teerth, the new PMO lUNION MoS fOR SCIENCE and Technology and Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh will inaugurate CSIR’s RISE conference, aimed at providing a common platform for startups, MSMEs, academic and research institutions. Authority will host the annual three-day spring festival 'Palaash Mahotsav 2026'. The celebrations will, for the first time, be organised at four locations including Ashoka Garden, Lala Hardayal Park, Smriti Van and Baansera. THE BIg PIcTURE SEOUL mAtES: the Korean wave PAgE 14 business as Usual By EP UNNY ExPrEss IN DHAKA lTHE MUCH-DElAYED INDIAN TRACK THESE AND MORE ON www.INDIANExPrEss.cOm Landslide returns BNP to power, Rahman to be PM Jamaat emerges as second largest party, main Opposition lDElHI DEVElOPMENT Super League kick-starts at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata with a match between defending champions Mohun Bagan and Kerala Blasters PARTY SECURES TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY IN BANGlADESH PARlIAMENT Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Seva Teerth complex, located on Dara Shikoh Road, Friday. PTI New complex and Kartavya Bhavan built to fulfil aspirations of India: PM Harikishan Sharma New Delhi, February 13 PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi on Friday shifted to his new office at Seva Teerth complexfromthecolonial-eraSouth Block building on Raisina Hill, where the PMO was located since Independence. Addressinganeventafterinaugurating the Seva Teerth, as well as two Central Secretariat buildings, called Kartavya Bhavan 1 and 2, the PM said buildings in the North and South Block were “built as symbols of theBritishEmpireandtheirpurpose was to keep India chained in slavery for centuries”. “The new complexes like Seva Teerth and Kartavya Bhavan have been built to fulfil the aspirations of India and its people,”hesaid.“Thedecisions made here will not reflect the thinking of any Maharaja (monarch) but will serve as the foundation for advancing the aspirations of 1.4 billion citizens. With this sacred spirit, today I am dedicating this Seva Teerth and Kartavya Bhavan to the people of India.” Earlier, in a post on X, the PM said: “May Seva Teerth always stand as a radiant symbol of duty, compassion, commitment to the principle of India First… May it inspire generations to walk the path of selfless service and tireless dedication to the welfare of all.” The Executive Enclave complex or Seva Teerth, on Dara Shikoh Road (formerly Dalhousie Road), also houses »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Shubhajit Roy February 13 SIGNALLING THE start of a new chapter in the country’s history, the centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman, returned to power Friday after nearly two decades, securing a landslide victory in the first nationalelectionssincetheAugust 2024 ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Election Commission announced that the BNP had won 209 seats in the 300-seat Bangladesh parliament. With a commanding twothirds majority, the BNP will be able to form the government and 60-year-old Rahman, who is tipped to be the Prime Minister, will not need the support »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, Friday. PTI RELATED REPORTS, PAGE 9 Modi first to reach out to Rahman, but Delhi-Dhaka ties not so simple Shubhajit Roy Dhaka, February 13 PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi became the first leader to call and greet BNP chief Tarique Rahman Friday after it became clear that his centreright party had secured a twothirds majority in elections to the Bangladesh parliament, one of the most watched elections in South Asia in recent years. Modi’s outreach assumes significance given the acrimony and strain in ties between Delhi and Dhaka after the dramatic August 2024 ousterofPrimeMinister Sheikh Hasina, one of India’s closest partners in the neighbourhood. Her presence inIndiawillframeadiplomatic challengeforthetwocountries, apart from irritants that include water-sharing, border, connectivity and illegals. Modi dialled Rahman even before the official results were announcedbytheElection Commission of Bangladesh. The first post by Modi came at 9.32 am Bangladesh time (9.02 am IST). In posts in E. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Pannun assassination plot: Accused Nikhil Gupta pleads guilty in Manhattan court Rs 5,000 in account: Stalin’s early morning bonanza for 1.31 crore women ahead of polls Has been jailed in Brooklyn since his extradition to US from Czech Republic Money deposited at 6 am, official announcement came later Divya A New Delhi, February 13 INDIAN NATIONAL Nikhil Gupta, charged with the 2023 assassinationplotagainstKhalistani separatist Gurpatwant SinghPannuninNewYork,has pleaded guilty in a United States court, news agency Reuters reported Friday. Gupta pleaded guilty to three criminal charges, the report stated, quoting a spokespersonfortheUSAttorney’sOffice in Manhattan. The 54-year-old pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-forhire and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carry a maximum combined sentence of 40 years in prison, the spokesperson said, adding that Gupta entered his plea beforeUSMagistrateJudgeSarah Netburn in the Manhattan federal court. Gupta has been jailed in Brooklyn since his June 2024 extradition to the US from the Czech Republic, where he had been arrested a year earlier. He hadpleadednotguiltyimmediately after his extradition. The prosecutorshadaccusedhimof plotting, along with an individual identified as an Indian government official, to kill Pannun, a US resident and dual US-Canadian citizen. On several occasions after the case came to light, New Delhi dissociated itself from any plot against Pannun, saying it was against government policy.TheMinistryofExternal Affairs (MEA) strongly dismissed allegations regarding the assassination plot, calling the allegations “unwarranted and unsubstantiated”. In November 2023, an indictmentfiledbytheUSJustice Department was unsealed, allegingthataformerIndiangovernment employee, referred to as “CC-1,” enlisted Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, to recruit a hitman to assassinate PannuninNewYork.However, US authorities foiled the plot before it could be executed. In response to the case, Indiasetupahigh-levelinquiry committee to address security concerns raised by the US. The MEAreiteratedIndia’scommitment to taking such matters »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Conversation with Pradhan Arun Janardhanan Chennai, February 13 Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan with Vandita Mishra, National Opinion Editor, The Indian Express, at the Express Adda in New Delhi on Friday. RENUKA PURI ThE wOrlD PAgE 14 Submit report, top court tells CBI on Manipur ethnic violence Express News Network New Delhi, February 13 tRUmP WARNS IRAN: fAILURE tO StRIKE dEAL WILL bE tRAUmAtIc ‘REPAIR & REVIVE’ tRANS-AtLANtIc tIES: gERmANy URgES US, EUROPE THE SUPREME Court on Friday sought a report from the CBI on the status of the investigation into the cases registered by the agency in connection with the ethnic clashes that rocked Manipur in 2023. The top court, which monitoredthemattersofar,alsosuggested entrusting the Manipur HighCourtortheGauhatiHigh Court with the task. A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked the CBI,whichisprobing11casesin connection with the violence, to submit the status report before the next date of hearing. The direction came after Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearingforsomeofthevictims, said the trials were proceeding in a “casual manner”. ByanorderdatedAugust25, 2025, the SC had moved Manipur’s violence-related cases being probed by the CBI to neighbouringAssamandasked theChiefJusticeofGauhatiHC to nominate one or more judi- cialofficersinGuwahatitodeal with the production and remand of the accused. On Friday, Grover said a victim had passed away recently and was kept in the dark regarding the status of the case. “The hope that she may get justice may have kept her alive. Nobody ever informed her that thereisachargesheetfiled.The manner in which it is dealt with…The accused is not appearing, the CBI is not present, then the accused have come… “The casualness with which it AT 6 AM, before most people in Tamil Nadu had boiled their first tea, Rs 5,000 landed in the bank accounts of 1.31 crore women in the state. The announcement came later. In a move that left little room for bureaucratic interruption or political challenge, the state government, led by Chief Minister M K Stalin, creditedatotalofRs6,550crore intobeneficiaryaccountsunder the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai scheme — Rs 3,000 covering three months’ assistance (Rs 1,000 each for Febru- Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin ary, March and April), and an additional Rs 2,000 as a special summer package. By the time opponents could react, the money was already there. “This urimai thogai (rights grant) was an assurance made byStalintothewomenofTamil Nadu. Whoever may create obstacles, I will not step back,” Stalin said after the transfers were completed. The sequence mattered. In recent weeks, there had been murmurs that attempts might »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 wEsT bENGAl NO WAgES fOR 8 yEARS: 172 RAILWAy WORKERS SURVIVEd ON ‘UNfAIR mEANS P5 »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 l SCORES OF VILLAGES IN JHARGRAM & PASCHIM MIDNAPORE RULED BY FEAR AFTER SUNDOWN In Bengal tribal belt, night vigils amid rumours of break-ins, snatching of Aadhaar, voter IDs Ravik Bhattacharya and Atri Mitra belt in West Bengal are ruled by fear after sundown. The night vigil started in Jhargram but Jhargram, February 13 steadily spread to neighbourAROUND9PMatKherejoravil- ing Paschim Midnapore dislage in Jhargram district, a tricts. The reason — rumours group of men, armed with afloat that alleged outsiders and miscreants are torch lights, bamPAGE 1 breakingintohouses boos,sticksandaxes, and taking away patrolled the area, Aadhaar cards and making stops occasionally as a sense of fear and voter ID cards. Interestingly, this comes just a few months panic pervaded the village. Kherejoraisnottheonlyvil- ahead of the Assembly eleclage. Scores of such villages in tions and at a time when the JhargramandPaschimMidna- SpecialIntensiveRevision(SIR) pore districts, part of the tribal drive is underway. anchor The villages in Gopiballpur, Jhargram, Sankrail, Jamboni areas in Jhargram district and Kharagpur 1, Keshiyari, Shalboni,Garbeta-IIofblocksunder PaschimMidnaporedistrictare mostaffectedbysuchrumours. Superintendent of Police, Jhargram, Manav Singla said, “These are rumours. First, we tried to identify the actual culpritbutfailed.Thenwerealised these are rumours. We are monitoring social media and have our own network. We are yet to identify the root. Simultaneously, we have stepped up Locals holding a night vigil at Kherejora village in Jhargram district on Friday. PARTHA PAUL night patrolling and awareness programmes at the villages.” Superintendent of Police, Paschim Medinipur, Palash Chandra Dhali, said, “The rumours originated from Jhargram and spread to other places. We are conducting awarenessdrivesinvillages.We have also intensified night patrolling.” In Kherejora village, people aged between 18 and 60 years were seen keeping vigil at night. “I have been sleeping just for one or two hours per day Kolkata since last week. We don’t have any options. Suddenly our village was under the grip of fear,” said25-year-oldUttamMahato who works as a labourer in Gidhni Railyard. His father, 58-year-old KartickMahato,whotoowasinthe group, said, “I have only one son. So we have no other option. Sometimes, I keep vigil so that Uttam can take some rest.” Typically, night vigil starts everyeveningaround8pmand continues till about 4 am. Armed with torches, lathis and evenaxes,youthspatrolthevil- lage, including its borders along a forest. After night patrolling started in the Kherejora village about seven days back, Hemanta Mahato (20) and his father have been taking turns. “We have a flower shop. My father opens his shop at 7 am. I keep vigil from 8 pm to 3 am. Then I go to sleep. I join my father at ourshopat9am.Itisaquestion of our village’s security.” “We have heard that miscreants and outsiders have tried to barge into a nearby »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2