Several prominent and widely discussed political heavyweights suffered defeat in the 13th National Parliamentary Election despite their strong presence in national politics and media. Many of these candidates held key party positions, had decades of political experience, regularly appeared in print and electronic media, and commanded significant followings on social media. However, their visibility and influence did not ultimately translate into electoral victory. According to unofficial results, those who failed to secure victory include Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Mia Golam Parwar, Hamidur Rahman Azad, Shishir Monir, Mamunul Haque, Barrister Fuad, and Saiful Haque, among others. Mahmudur Rahman Manna, president of Nagorik Oikya, contested from Bogura-2 with the kettle symbol and received only 3,426 votes, losing his deposit, while the Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate Mir Shahe Alam secured 145,024 votes and the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Maulana Shahadatuzzaman received 93,548 votes. In Khulna-5, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar polled 144,956 votes but was defeated by BNP candidate Mohammad Ali Asgar Lobi, who won with the Dhaner Sheesh 🌾 symbol by a margin of 2,702 votes. In Cox’s Bazar-2, Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad lost by nearly 28,000 votes to BNP candidate Alamgir Muhammad Mahfuz Ullah Farid, who obtained 125,543 votes. In Sunamganj-2 (Dirai-Shalla), Shishir Monir secured 57,858 votes but was defeated by BNP’s Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, who received 97,790 votes with the Dhaner Sheesh 🌾 symbol. In Dhaka-13, Mamunul Haque, Ameer of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish and Joint Secretary General of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, narrowly lost to BNP candidate Bobby Hajjaj. In Barishal-3, Barrister Fuad received 57,149 votes and was defeated by BNP nominee Zainul Abedin, who secured 78,131 votes. In Dhaka-12, Saiful Haque, General Secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, obtained 30,963 votes and lost to Jamaat candidate Saiful Alam, who garnered 53,773 votes. Meanwhile, in Barishal-5, rumors circulated on social media claiming that BASAD-nominated candidate Dr. Monisha Chakraborty had won, but she later clarified that the claim was false, though she acknowledged receiving significant public support. The election outcome demonstrates that media prominence, political stature, and online popularity do not automatically ensure victory; rather, grassroots organization, coalition dynamics, and direct voter engagement ultimately determine electoral success.