An analysis suggests West Bengal is exhibiting patterns reminiscent of Bangladesh's democratic collapse, characterized by the normalization of fear and the weaponization of control rather than a mere law and order issue. The article points to the 2018 and 2023 panchayat elections, where widespread violence, intimidation, and uncontested victories for the ruling Trinamool Congress are cited as evidence of coercion and a departure from constitutional restraint, mirroring early stages of democratic unravelling.