DHAKA, Feb 12, 2026 (BSS) - Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF)  Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan today exercised his voting right at the BAF Shaheen College center in the Cantonment here.  "The Air Chief cast his vote at 11:30 am," a release of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said this noon. 

KHULNA, Feb 12, 2026 (BSS) - The presence of young, women and minority voters  was particularly noticeable in Khulna during the voting in the 13th Jatiya  Sangsad (JS) Election and referendum held on Thursday, although some rural  voters were seen confused over casting "Yes" and "No" votes in the  referendum. Except for two or three minor isolated incidents, polling was held in a  festive and peaceful atmosphere across the six constituencies of Khulna  district, including the metropolitan area.  Voters began arriving at polling centres well before voting started, and  turnout increased steadily as the day progressed. However, visits to a number of polling centres in Khulna-2, Khulna-3 and  Khulna-5 constituencies revealed that apart from agents of the BNP and  Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, agents of other parties or independent candidates  were largely absent.  BNP and Jamaat agents claimed that voting was conducted peacefully. First- time voters expressed excitement after casting their ballots. Mamun, a student of the Arabic Department at Khulna Alia Madrasa and a voter  of Khulna-2 constituency, cast his vote for the first time at Khulna  Government City College around 8:00 am. "I'm very happy to vote for the first  time in my life," he added. Labani, a student of Khulna Government Women's College and a voter of Khulna- 3 constituency, also expressed great enthusiasm after casting her first-ever  vote. Alamgir Hossain, a resident of Mistripara in the city, said he could not vote  during the previous government's tenure. After voting around 7.45 am, he  said, "Voting is taking place in a very nice environment. Hopefully, a good  result will come." Bisakha Das, 40, a housewife and voter at Ghonar Ramkrishnapur Secondary  School centre in Khulna-5 (Phultala-Dumuria) constituency, said she voted in  a peaceful environment without any fear. "It feels very good to vote  peacefully," she added. Dipankar Mondal, principal officer of Janata Bank, said after voting that  polling was going on in a festive atmosphere, noting a strong turnout of  women, men and minority community voters. Presiding Officer Apurba Kumar Das of Ghonar Ramkrishnapur Secondary School  centre said voter turnout was good and no untoward incidents occurred. "All  voters, including new voters, cast their votes in a festive mood," he added. However, some rural voters faced confusion over the referendum ballot. Kakoli  Rani, a voter at Bamandia Government Primary School centre in Kharniya Union  under Dumuria upazila, said, "All these years, we voted on one paper  (ballot). This time they gave two papers. I pressed without fully  understanding the new pink paper. I don't know whether my vote was counted or  not." Meanwhile, a mobile court sentenced 11 people to two years of rigorous  imprisonment each and fined them Taka 10,000 each for posing as fake polling  agents in several centres of Koyra upazila under Khulna-6 constituency. Koyra Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Zahidul Islam Jahangir said  the individuals were found performing duties by introducing themselves as  agents of the Jatiya Party (JP).   Upon being informed by presiding officers, an executive magistrate held a  mobile court and, after identifying them as fake agents, handed down the  punishment.