Dhaka, Dec. 9 -- In the altered reality following the 2024 July Uprising, the general election expected in February

is shaping up to be more than a contest for power as it will decide whether the nation of 170 million leans toward democratic consolidation or slides into a deeper political crisis, a leading analyst has warned.

Mozammel Hossain, a veteran journalist and political commentator, sees two diverging paths ahead.

"One is a trajectory in which right-wing forces confront the country's realities and its majority through struggle, negotiation and conflict, leading Bangladesh into instability," he told bdnews24.com's flagship discussion programme Inside Out.

"The other path is to open the doors of democratic politics to all, inclu...