Union Parishads (UPs) and Upazila Parishads (UZs) are two local government (LG) institutions that lie at the door-step of the majority of the country's population. All politicians, irrespective of their affiliation to various parties, make electoral pledges to strengthen such elected bodies. Scrapped in the aftermath of the fall of the Ershad regime, the upazila system was revived years ago after a lot of foot-dragging. Notwithstanding the debate over upazila Chairman's power, this particular tier of LG system receives administrative importance. Even the Prime Minister highlighted its importance during her visit to the LGRD Ministry the other day. She asked the authorities concerned to draw up a master plan in each upazila to ensure planned urbanisation for rendering better services to the people. The upazilas, if developed as per the proposed master plan, could be a springboard for development, leading to the achievement of a middle-income country status. At the same time, the developed upazilas will surely help to stem the tide of rural migration to cities like Dhaka and Chittagong.
The potential of the upazilas having semi-urban headquarters is huge, in terms of real economic development. That is exactly why international funding agencies like the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have shown keen interest to provide assistance to different upazila headquarter-centred municipalities for developing liveable townships for increased number of rural people. The ADB approved on Friday last a fund of US$ 125 million in loans for improving the services of 30 municipalities. The loans will be used to improve services and quality of governance, making them more liveable and attractive. Besides, as the ADB said, such townships will also help ease population pressure on major cities. Dhaka and Chittagong, as it pointed out, now account for nearly half of Bangladesh's urban population and it is essential to develop liveable other urban centres having quality infrastructure and better management in order to ease the problem of overcrowding in big cities.
Extensive reforms are needed to make the elected LG bodies effective as engines of growth. Accountability and transparency have to be brought in the functioning of the UPs and the UZs. Good and effective working relations between the elected bodies have to be developed in such a way that the two could work in unison for execution of different development projects. The continuing tussle between the lawmakers and the Upazila Chairmen has to be resolved before important activities, involving health, education etc. are handed over to the upazilas administration, as was hinted at, by the PM.
The UPs and the UZs do not inform their electorates about the development projects that they implement and how much money they get from the national budget for these projects. Dissemination of such information would help create a welcome pressure on the elected representatives to ensure transparency about the use of resources. Directives should also be issued to the local government bodies to prepare their own development plans and generate funds locally. After all, there are a large number of middle, upper middle and high income people in semi-urban centres as well as in villages who can contribute a substantial volume of resources to promote initiatives for supporting local-level development activities.
Making LG bodies catalyst for development
FE Team | Published: July 22, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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