Bangladesh, Feb. 21 -- Prime Minister Tarique Rahman assumes office at a moment unlike any other in Bangladeshs post-independence history. The country has known turbulence before—coups, caretaker interludes, bitter electoral standoffs. But no prime minister since 1971 has taken charge amid such a convergence of economic fragility, diplomatic entanglement, and institutional erosion. Context matters. Leadership is not measured in slogans but in the weight of circumstances it inherits.

The economic slide did not begin yesterday. Since 2022, Bangladesh has been grappling with a persistent slowdown. Foreign exchange reserves thinned, inflation bit into household incomes, and the once-celebrated growth narrative began to fray. These pres...