Bangladesh needs effective local government
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
THE country needs a proper and effective system of local government to ensure development throughout Bangladesh and stop migration of people to big countries.
An uncaring attitude of the nineties toward the upazilla model made it a casualty inspite of the experts and planners calling for its restoration to give a boost to local economic growth and development.
Under the existing system, the bureaucrats and, during political administration, the members of parliament (MPs) exercise control over the resource flows to local bodies. This could possibly be curbed by a revival of the upazilla model. Therefore, it is important for the highest level of the government to take a decisive action to foil the otherwise- thinking interest groups.
When a proper local government system is established, the government should be prepared to provide it with adequate funds. The government needs to increase its existing inadequate financial support to local bodies. But the increased funding would have to be channelled through local bodies after they are set up under a proper and effective model of local governance.
Md Amanullah
Mohammadpur, Dhaka
An uncaring attitude of the nineties toward the upazilla model made it a casualty inspite of the experts and planners calling for its restoration to give a boost to local economic growth and development.
Under the existing system, the bureaucrats and, during political administration, the members of parliament (MPs) exercise control over the resource flows to local bodies. This could possibly be curbed by a revival of the upazilla model. Therefore, it is important for the highest level of the government to take a decisive action to foil the otherwise- thinking interest groups.
When a proper local government system is established, the government should be prepared to provide it with adequate funds. The government needs to increase its existing inadequate financial support to local bodies. But the increased funding would have to be channelled through local bodies after they are set up under a proper and effective model of local governance.
Md Amanullah
Mohammadpur, Dhaka