Dhaka, Dec. 31 -- For more than four decades, Bangladesh's politics moved to the rhythm of one rivalry: Khaleda Zia versus Sheikh Hasina. Now the country has entered a new chapter with one leader ousted and living in exile, the other gone after a long illness.

Since Khaleda's imprisonment in 2018, her son Tarique Rahman has effectively run BNP. And in the changed reality after the 2024 civil uprising, Awami League President Hasina has been directing party activity online from New Delhi.

On the ground, the post-uprising vacuum has produced a new force: a coalition led by Jamaat-e-Islami.

The question is where politics goes after the era of the "two leaders".

Will an Awami League-free field open the way for a new phase of BNP dominance?...