Bangladesh, Feb. 7 -- History is rarely kind to political parties that confuse dynasty with leadership, inheritance with legitimacy, and silence with strategy. Bangladeshs oldest political party, Awami League now stands at precisely such a crossroads. In a stunning and politically catastrophic development, Sheikh Hasina – once the undisputed center of gravity of the party – has quietly stepped away from active politics, effectively handing over control to her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy. Far from ensuring continuity, this move has plunged the Awami League into a self-inflicted existential crisis, one that threatens not only the partys survival but also Bangladeshs already fragile democratic balance.

At a time when most senior Awami...