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Download PDF The caretaker government should set up an independent commission for local government bodies to check interference from the political governments in their affairs, says a report by a high-powered committee to be submitted shortly.
The report also recommends dissolving the Gram Sarker system formally and introducing a three-tier local government system comprising zila, upazila and union parishads. The zila and upazila parishads should be formed through holding polls long overdue for making these local government bodies effective as well for ensuring good governance at grass roots level, sources said quoting the draft report. The report also suggests the government make the commission permanent.
The report also recommends forming zila and upazila parishads through holding polls long overdue for making the local government bodies effective as well for ensuring good governance at grass roots level, sources said quoting the draft report. The report also suggests the government make the commission permanent.
In a bid to strengthen the local government system, the caretaker government on June 3 formed the seven-member committee headed by former secretary Dr AMM Shawkat Ali. The government asked it to come up with recommendations within three months after reviewing the present structure and activities of the local government bodies. It was later given another two months time ending next month.
The committee plans to submit the report to the government at the end of this month or early next month, sources close to the committee said.
After its formation, the committee held a series of view exchange meetings with professionals, politicians, former lawmakers and other stakeholders and prepared the draft incorporating their opinions.
Currently, the committee members are working on finalising the report as soon as possible.
The committee opted for formally dissolving the controversial Gram Sarkar system, which was introduced by the immediate past BNP-led alliance government. It recommended introducing a local government system having three tiers — zila, upazila and union parishads.
In addition, the committee has also been working on how to make the city corporations and municipalities more effective by bringing necessary reforms in their formation and functions, sources added.
Besides, the committee is preparing recommendations outlining qualifications and disqualifications for the candidates contesting the polls of local government bodies and redefining the jurisdiction and functions of the institutions to increase participation of women.
It is also going to recommend enacting a single law defining the functions, jurisdictions and formation of zila, upazila and union parishads, instead of the existing separate laws for them.
Similarly, a single law might be introduced for the six city corporations, sources said.
The committee will also recommend curbing government power of removing elected representatives to union parishads as it has reportedly been misused.
According to the committee’s recommendations, a chairman or member of a union parishad can be removed only if other parishad members pass a vote of no confidence against him after investigating the allegations against him. A chairman or a member can be removed on other grounds like if he is convicted of crimes or declared insane or unsound-minded by a competent court.
LOCAL GOVT COMMISSION
The committee is drafting a law for setting up the three-member independent commission. It will comprise experts on local government and financial sectors, sources added. The chairman and two members of the commission will be appointed for five years.
“Once the commission is formed, the LGRD and Cooperatives ministry’s current power to direct, control and supervise the local government bodies will be curtailed legally to a great extent,” a source said.
About the jurisdiction of the commission, the source said the committee would recommend allocation of resources to the local government institutions and send suggestions regularly regarding strengthening the local government system.
“If the central government wants to take any steps regarding the local government institutions, it will consult with the commission,” a source said quoting the committee’s draft report.
PREVIOUS EFFORTS REMAINED IGNORED
Since restoration of democracy in 1990, both BNP and Awami League (AL) had pledged to strengthen the local government system. However, they did not make any move for setting up an independent commission demanded for a long time.
The fear of losing control over the grassroots level administration is the cause for their inaction, many political analysts observe.
Assuming power in 1991, the BNP government dissolved the upazila system introduced during the Ershad regime and formed a committee to restructure the local government.
The committee recommended a local government system with zila and union parishads. However, the government only formed union parishads and took no step to form the zila parishads.
It also recommended that the government form a finance commission, which was supposed to make recommendations regarding the distribution of resources between the central and local government.
In its report in 1997, a committee formed by the AL government came up with a set of recommendations that included introducing a local government system having three tiers of zila, upazila and union parishads.
Though the AL government revived the upazila parishads during its tenure, the polls for the parishads were not held. Other important recommendations made by the committee led by the then state minister Advocate Rahmat Ali were also not implemented.
In its electoral pledges in 2001, the BNP promised to form upazila parishad, but it failed to keep that.
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