The Local Government Reform Commission has presented a comprehensive 210-point proposal to the interim government, aimed at fortifying local governance structures across Bangladesh.
Commission head Tofail Ahmed confirmed that the recommendations were formally submitted to the Chief Adviser’s Office on 20 February, providing a preliminary framework for discussion within the National Consensus Commission.
He emphasised that the recommendations remain open to modification and refinement in the coming stages.
Speaking at a national dialogue organised by the Governance Advocacy Forum, Ahmed dismissed the proposal from the Public Administration Reform Commission to convert four districts into provinces and dissolve district councils, deeming it impractical. Instead, he asserted that district councils should be further empowered.
To ensure swift implementation of the proposed reforms, he underscored the necessity of establishing a permanent five-member Local Government Commission with constitutional status within the next three months.
Among the key recommendations outlined by the commission are the expansion of lower court jurisdictions to the upazila level, streamlining local government institutions under two fundamental legislative frameworks instead of five separate laws, ensuring balance within the two divisions of the Local Government Ministry, and synchronising elections across all local government entities on the same day.
Additional proposals include non-partisan electoral processes, enhancing the district councils rather than dividing the country into provinces, introducing direct voting for district council members, and implementing structural reforms within all local government bodies.
The commission has also recommended allowing government employees to contest local elections, abolishing uncontested victories, and reforming the reserved women’s seats by implementing a rotational system covering one-third of the wards.
Furthermore, the proposals advocate restructuring local government institutions along parliamentary lines, creating a dedicated "Local Government Service" for administrative efficiency, and dividing each institution into legislative and executive branches.
Justifying the urgency of these reforms, the commission argues that a permanent constitutional Local Government Commission is essential for overseeing the legal and regulatory frameworks necessary for decentralised governance.
The proposed changes aim to simplify the electoral process, reduce costs, and cultivate a democratic and participatory political culture at the grassroots level.
A crucial aspect of the recommendations is consolidating five existing local government laws into two overarching legislative structures—one for union, upazila, and district councils, and another for municipalities and city corporations.
The commission suggests that elections be held under a unified framework, ensuring efficiency and reducing administrative expenditure.
Under the new organisational structure, each local government institution will be divided into legislative and executive branches.
The legislative head, or speaker, akin to the role of the speaker in parliament, will oversee council proceedings, while the executive head, either the chairman or mayor, will function as the administrative leader.
The speaker will be elected through an internal vote by council members, followed by a separate vote for the chairman or mayor via secret ballot.
The proposal also redefines the reserved seats for women, suggesting that instead of fixed allocations, one-third of the wards should be designated for female candidates on a rotational basis.
Women elected in these reserved seats would automatically hold one-third of executive council positions, ensuring greater representation in decision-making bodies.
The commission further emphasises the need for a specialised "Local Government Service" to streamline administrative functions, allowing for both upward and downward mobility within the service cadre.
Additionally, significant reforms are proposed for institutions such as the National Institute of Local Government (NILG), the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD), and the Rural Development Academy (RDA) to modernise their operational frameworks.
Speaking at the national dialogue titled "Democratic Decentralisation and People’s Aspirations for Local Governance", Tofail Ahmed highlighted the necessity of extending judicial services to upazila levels, a recommendation also echoed by the Judicial Reform Commission.
He argued that such measures would enhance accessibility to justice at the grassroots level, addressing both criminal and civil cases more effectively.
The Governance Advocacy Forum also presented a set of reform proposals, advocating for the decentralisation of power, direct and non-partisan elections at all levels, local revenue autonomy, greater transparency and accountability, and increased civic participation in development initiatives.
Inputs were gathered from over 50 citizen organisations across various regions, reflecting a broad-based consensus on the urgent need for local government reforms.
