Effective Local Government National Convention 2021
Governance Advocacy Forum (GAF) Organized a Massive Mobilization in Dhaka
In the context of ongoing development of the country, government goals focus on proper implementation of the 8th Five Years Plan along with ensuring progress as a developing country by 2026, achieving SDG by 2030, and a developed nation by 2041. The role of local government institutions is very important in achieving these goals. In addition, in order to establish effective local government, it is necessary to reform the acts in respective cases, ensuring proper implementation of LGIs activities in accordance with the act and ensure public participation, transparency and accountability. The speakers emphasized on those issues at the ‘Effective Local Government National Convention 2021’ organized by the Governance Advocacy Forum (GAF) on Sunday, December 19, 2021 at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh, Dhaka.
More than 600 participants attended the convention; those are- leaders of local government platforms, local government representatives, civil society, marginalized people, experts, media personnel and women-men-transgender-youth representatives.
Before the main plenary session of the National Convention, four parallel dialogue sessions have been held on –
- Progress as a Developing Country and Policy support for Establishing Effective Local Government to implementation the SDGs
- Resource Mobilization of Local Government Institutions
- Status of Elected Women Representatives in Local Government Institutions
- People’s participation and transparency and accountability of Local Government Institutions
Mr. Mohammad Asaduzzaman Sarkar, Deputy Head, Revenue and Monetary Policy Division, Planning Commission; Mr. Shaila Farzana, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Public Administration; Dr.Ferdous Arefina Osman, Professor, Department of Public Administration, Dhaka University and Mr. Jasim Uddin, Joint Secretary, Law Branch, Local Government Department were present as the Keynote Speakers in the Parallel Dialogues.
Mr. Tazul Islam MP, Minister, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD&C) was present as the Chief Guest at the Plenary Session of the convention which was presided over by Dr. Qazi Kholiqazzaman Ahmad, Chairperson, Governance Advocacy Forum and Chairman, PKSF. Furthermore, MS. Shaheen Anam, Executive Director, Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) spoke as the Guest of Honor and Mr. Mohsin Ali, Coordinator, Governance Advocacy Forum and Executive Director, WAVE Foundation presented the recommendations of the National Convention. The study findings on “Effective Local Government System for Localization & Achievement of SDGs and the Goals of the 8th Five Year Plan: Policy, Local Resource Mobilization, Women, Participation and Accountability Perspectives” have been presented by Dr. Mobassher Monem, Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of Dhaka and the summery of dialogue sessions were accumulated and placed by Mr. Md. Ziaul Karim, Senior Coordinator, Manusher Jonno Foundation. Later, welcoming remarks were made by Mr. Aniruddha Roy, Facilitator, Governance Advocacy Forum and the plenary was moderated by MS. Kaniz Fatima, Assistant Director, WAVE Foundation.
In the speech of the Chief Guest, Mr. Tazul Islam MP said that the people’s representatives are the representatives of the owners of the country. He added, studies around the world have shown that if the local government structure is correct and appropriate, the welfare of all people including the marginalized is possible and this requires implementation and strengthening of the local government system. But in our country, the system has some loopholes in the structural management level. He also cited the co-existence of both local people’s representatives and local administration is most important. We cannot be able to deny the role of the bureaucrats. Both the local government representatives and the local administration must respect each other. Furthermore, local government representatives must have respect and sense of responsibility to truly serve the local people. At the same time, proper effective development is possible only by ensuring transparency and accountability through people’s participation.
As the Guest of Honor, MS. Shaheen Anam said that the demand for establishing effective local government has required for so long. She also added “if it is implemented, the living standard of marginalized people will be improved” and the present government has considerable interest in women’s empowerment, decentralization and local government. At the same time, she pledged that the MJF will continue to support in carrying out lobbying and advocacy activities on local government issues. Besides, during the discussion of local government representatives, Mr. Akhtaruzzaman, Gazipur District Council Chairman, Harun-Or-Rashid Hawlader, President, Bangladesh Upazila Parishad Association, Mayor Khaled Hossain Yead, Secretary General, Municipal Association of Bangladesh-MAB, Sazzad Hossain Mukul, Senior Vice President, Bangladesh Union Parishad Forum-BUPF and other participants were shared their views.
Chair of the Plenary Session Dr. Qazi Kholiqazzaman Ahmad said, the country belongs to all of us, we will work all together and play a role in the development of the country. We have to empower the local government and hand over the responsibility to them.
The recommendations of the National Convention for establishing effective local government system and to achieve the development goals of the country are as follows:
1) Precisely identifying the loopholes and obscurity existing in the rules and regulations of Union Parishad, Pourashava, Upazilla Parishad, Zilla Parishad and City Corporations.
2) By overviewing the roles of honorable member of parliament (MP), the Upazila Chairman and Upazila Nirbahi Officer mentioned in the Upazilla Parishad Act-2009, introduce a harmonious distribution of responsibilities and power in the law to facilitate effective decentralization and development (Keeping in mind the present scenario and the government’s vision).
3) Reserving one third of all seats in all levels of local governments and creating the rule of the direct election of women representatives in those seats.
4) Increasing the financial allocation of the local government institutions keeping in mind their responsibilities and directly transferring 7% of the land transfer tax to the respective local government.
5) Expanding the number of taxable sectors for all local government institutions, fixing their responsibility in tax collection and implementing it properly.
6) Creating a precise plan of action within the acts for all local government institutions to ensure the participation of the mass public, introducing laws for effective implementation.
7) Organizing training programs for all levels of local government bodies to improve their capacity and skills.
8) To take special initiative for implementing the recommendations came from platforms of
Local Government Institutions i.e., Bangladesh Union Parishad Forum, Municipal Association of
Bangladesh and Bangladesh Upazila Parishad Association.
9) Coordinating with local government institutions at all levels in the district especially with elected chairman and reviewing Act of Zilla Parishad in order to achieve the government’s national development goals.
10) Ensuring transparency, accountability, monitoring and evaluation of local government institutions, elected representatives and relevant officials on behalf of the Ministry of Local
Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives
11) Above mentioned points are made keeping an inter connection with the real scenario of local government institutions. Therefore, it is recommended to create a taskforce following the path of decentralization so that it redesigns local government institutions and its operations. It is also requested that the recommendations from the said taskforce are accepted and implemented through required actions by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives.
