Staff Correspondent
The initiatives to establish a strong and effective local government system might be frustrated due to lack of coordination between Upazila Chairmen and MPs as they have already been locked in discords on several issues.
This observation was made by participants at a round table discussion on ‘strong and effective local government’ organised by Sujan a research based organisation at National Press Club on Monday. A good number of upazila chairmen from different parts of country, MPs of ruling party and government and non-government high officials took part in the discussion meeting while Professor Mozaffar Ahmed Chairman of TIB Trusty Board was present as moderator.
During the discussion, they said soon after upazila election, cold relations between upazila chairmen and MPs are increasing throughout the country due to the lack of coordination and mutual understanding among them. As a result, the plan of establishing strong and effective local body system might be frustrated in the long run.
Participants alleged that the MPs of different political parties have already started to establish supremacy on every sector at their respective constituencies. After doing so, they are trying to keep away these upazila chairmen from all sorts of development activities amending upazila Ordinance in the parliament. If the government wants to establish a strong and effective local body system for country’s overall development, it will have to restore the previous system and function of upazila chairmen. Otherwise, the upazila chairmen along with its vice chairmen and women chairmen (from reserved seats) will go for movement against the MPs at respective areas forming association immediately, they cautioned.
ABM Abdus Sattar chairman of Raigaonj Upazila in Sirajgaonj district said “we are getting hints that the activities of all upazila chairmen throughout the country will be controlled centrally and we will be responsible and accountable to the respective district level commissioners. If our activities are controlled centrally, we will go for movement forming association.”
Baker Bhuiyan chairman of Sitakundu under Chittagonj district said “the cold relations between the upazila chairmen and MPs of different parties are increasing alarmingly and they have already been locked in conflict over power sharing issue throughout the country. The election manifesto of the ruling government will not be successful if it does not resolve these problems including power sharing immediately.”
Hedayatul Islam member of Local Government Commission (LGC) said that this is the first time upazila election in the country was held under the democratic process after its inception. The upazila chairmen and MPs will play their role as per the directives of country’s existing constitution. So there is no chance to lock in discords on several issues, he said. “With a view to building bridge of relationship and coordination between the upazila chairmen and MPs, the government should come forward and I think the process has already been started. Meanwhile, a meeting between the government and LGC official took place regarding this issue. And the government is still initiating many steps to make a strong, effective and result oriented local government institutions which will pave the way of country’s democracy and overall development,” he said.
Mozaffar Ahmad said that to make the local government a success, honest and skilled men power is needed to reduce bad elements from grassroots levels and politics. Under these circumstances the LGC will have to come forward and arrange a training programme to train up upazila chairmen, vice chairmen and women chairmen (from reserved seats) after their oath taking.
Courtesy: thebangladeshtoday.com
