Staff Reporter :
Experts on Tuesday said they are in doubts over the effectiveness of local government institutions if the recommendations of the Local Government Reform Commission be implemented.
The Governance Advocacy Forum, a coalition of civil society organizations, organized the event at the National Press Club in Dhaka, calling for local government reforms guided by the principles of democratic decentralization.
Wave Foundation Executive Director Md Mohsin Ali said that while they agreed with some aspects of the commission’s recommendations, certain proposals needed to be reconsidered.
The commission has proposed restructuring the local government system in a parliamentary-style format, dividing it into two segments: legislative and executive.
‘We have not seen our national parliament function effectively. How, then, will the Union Council operate efficiently under this structure?’ he questioned.
Among others, Noakhali Rural Development Society Executive Director Abdul Awal, Wave Foundation Deputy Director Kaniz Fatima, and Shield Executive Director Md Mahbub Alam Firoz spoke at the event.
In a written statement, the Governance Advocacy Forum also criticized the commission’s proposal to set a minimum educational qualification of a bachelor’s degree for candidates running for mayor or chairman positions.
‘If a mayor or chairman must have a graduation degree, then members of parliament should be required to have even higher qualifications,’ the statement read.
The forum further pointed out inconsistencies in the commission’s recommendations, particularly regarding non-partisan elections for local government bodies while also proposing a “shadow council.” It raised concerns over the lack of clarity on how the leaders of this council would be elected.
The interim government formed 12 reform commissions, including the Local Government Reform Commission, to improve governance structures in Bangladesh. The commission submitted its draft reform proposals on February 23.
