Autonomous, democratic local governance is an integral part of the Bangladesh constitutional system. Article 59 of the Constitution mandates the creation of elected local bodies at each administrative unit- District, Upazila and Union. These bodies are for "the management of local affairs by locally elected persons." (Kudrat-E-Elahi Panir Vs Bangladesh) Local government by definition, is democratic self-governance that must be accountable to the people.
Most challenges people face are local. Therefore the best way to solve them is through local initiatives and local leadership by awakening and mobilizing people. The elected bodies can play a catalytic role by fomenting a social movement that can greatly contribute to the socio-economic resurgence of the country. Thus, the subsidiarity principle, enunciated in the United Nation's World Charter of Local Self-Government states that public problem solving responsibilities should generally be exercised by those authorities which are closest to the citizen, and any allocation of responsibilities to higher authorities must be based primarily on the requirements of technical and economic efficiency.
A strong local government system can ensure good governance through transparency, accountability, effective participation and equal opportunities for all. It can also lay the foundation for a vibrant democratic system.
In spite of the importance and potential of local government institutions, they remain weak and are increasingly becoming weaker. Only two local bodies are now functioning in the country - Paurashava/City Corporation in urban setting and Union Parishad in rural setting. Except for the City Corporation, both the Paurashava and the Union Parishad are century old local government institutions.
In our centralized system, the local government bodies are deprived of functions, functionaries, finances
and freedom (the four Fs). They are totally subservient to the bureaucracy and are now increasingly being controlled by Members of the Parliament. Furthermore their sources to generate funds locally are being increasingly curtailed.
It is clear that the future prosperity of our country and well-being of our
people depend on a vibrant local democracy.
Achieving such vibrancy would require an aggressive program of decentralization and devolution of authority and resources. Experiences show that the closer the authorities and resources are to the people, the greater the benefits they bring for the society. Strengthening local government institutions would also require the transformation of conventional roles of the local government institutions so that they can be the change agents in the society.
Alliance of the four factions of Union Parishad organizations
A combined meeting of the four factions of union parishad organizations namely Bangladesh Chairman Society, Self Governing Union Parishad Advocacy Group-Bangladesh, Bangladesh Union Parishd Forum and Bangladesh Union Sadassay Sangstha was held on 8th August, 2005 at 11am in the secretariat of the Self Governing Union Parishad Advocacy Group-Bangladesh. The President of the Advocacy Group Mr. Abul Hossain Khan took initiative to form the alliance and also chair the meeting. The meeting unanimously decided to form an alliance to press hard on the Govt. unitedly to realize all their demands.........(Details....)
This local-democracy.org website is committed to strengthening local democratic governance. In order to do so, it will post the success stories of people and communities where local government bodies play catalytic roles. Particular emphasis will be given to the stories catalyzed by women representatives. It will highlight the efforts of organizations like ''Self-governing Union Parishad Advocacy Group-Bangladesh,'' a forum of elected UP representatives, which are championing the cause of local self-government in our country. The site will also include the activities of groups such as "Local Government and Development Forum," representing journalists who have taken the stand to promote local democratic governance as a means for moving the country forward.
স্থানীয় সরকার প্রতিষ্ঠান গতিশীল ও শক্তিশালীকরণ কমিটির প্রতিবেদন, ২০০৭
