Bangladesh, Feb. 14 -- There are elections that merely change governments. And then there are elections that change a nations mood. The 13th National Assembly Election and accompanying referendum fall squarely into the latter category. After years of suspicion, agitation, and a bruising national debate over the meaning of democratic legitimacy, Bangladesh witnessed something rare in its modern political history: a calm, orderly, broadly accepted transfer of authority shaped by the ballot rather than the baton.

That matters more than it sounds.

For decades, elections in Bangladesh have too often been exercises in anxiety. Allegations of manipulation, boycotts, street clashes, and mutual distrust have formed a familiar backdrop. The count...