Decentralization of Local Government in Bangladesh: Issues and Practices

Abstract

Bangladesh has been carrying out trial with decentralization for a long period of time like many other developing countries. This paper is an attempt to deliver a better understanding of decentralization practice at the local level in Bangladesh. This paper put emphasis on whether much autonomy has been practiced in the decentralization process. Moreover, this paper mainly concentrated on the secondary published reports and documents along with local government commission reports. The findings of the study also relate with the Constitutional guarantee in establishing of a strong and a self-governing local government arrangement, for the sake of decentralization the political direction of Bangladesh. However, the central intentions after most of the reform efforts have been to make stronger their political base in the various areas. Accordingly, these organizations cannot adequately be recognized as a central point of change where people would have the influence to observe and regulate their areas. Local Government of Bangladesh suffering from various problems as practicing colonial maintenance pattern, poor political leadership, dependency on central government, lack of authority and power, administrative weakness and lack of political will, lack of competent personnel, lack of essential discourse on local governance, patron-client relationship, insufficient infrastructure and communication facilities. Finally, the paper made some recommendations to overcome this situation.