The local governance system has come to a near standstill.
Since the fall of the Awami League government last August, the removal of city mayors, district council chairpersons, municipal mayors, and councillors has severely disrupted civic services.
The absence of elected representatives has resulted in ordinary citizens being deprived of essential services, particularly those related to local administration.
Experts assert that in the absence of elected representatives, proper civic services are not being delivered.
With no immediate prospect of local government elections, the issue remains unresolved.
Analysts suggest that instead of relying solely on bureaucrats, a nationwide network of competent individuals should be established to ensure the continuity of civic services.
The current government has replaced elected officials with government administrators, while "ward secretaries" have been appointed at the ward level.
However, these officials are often absent from their offices in the afternoons, take two days off each week, and frequently travel outside their jurisdictions for official duties. Consequently, the delivery of civic services has been severely hampered.
Elected representatives were previously responsible for signing various documents, including birth certificates, citizenship and death registrations, character certificates, inheritance certificates, old-age and disability pension attestations, as well as verification for national identity cards and voter lists.
They also played a crucial role in local arbitration and dispute resolution.
Since their removal following the political upheaval, the provision of these services has collapsed.
In several parts of the capital, streetlights are now non-functional, leading to a surge in thefts and muggings.
Last Monday, businessman Rakib was robbed of his mobile phone and wallet while returning home from Asad Gate to Mirpur at night.
Expressing his frustration, he said, "Crime has increased, and there seems to be no way to address it. The streets are pitch dark, and this creates the perfect opportunity for criminals. I was a victim of the same."
Jakir Ali, a resident of Dhaka South City Corporation's Ward 27, has been struggling to obtain a character certificate from the ward secretary's office for a private sector job.
"Previously, this would have been a simple matter of visiting the councillor’s office. Now, the bureaucratic hurdles are exhausting. What should have taken a day has now dragged on for ten," he lamented.
Dr Adil Mohammed Khan, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) and a professor of urban planning at Jahangirnagar University, said, "The local government system has collapsed. Elected representatives maintain a connection with local residents. With that link severed, administration and law and order have both suffered. The government needs to restore functionality in local governance. Rather than relying solely on bureaucrats, they should appoint qualified individuals who understand local issues. This would help restore order and resume development work, which currently remains stalled."
Reflecting on past governance issues, Dr Khan pointed out, "Even under political governments, development projects have been plagued by mismanagement. The lack of coordination exists because multiple agencies vie for their share of the profits. If coordination were in place, roads would only need to be dug up once instead of repeatedly by different agencies. Authorities should implement annual planning to address this."
Investigations reveal that civic services in Dhaka’s two city corporations have slowed considerably.
Obtaining birth and death registrations, inheritance certificates, and character attestations has become a protracted ordeal.
There is no visible initiative for dengue control, and streets, alleyways, and flyovers remain littered with garbage due to the absence of a designated authority to ensure their removal.
This has resulted in immense inconvenience for residents.
Dhaka North City Corporation has 54 wards, while Dhaka South has 75.
Previously, service delivery was overseen by two mayors and numerous councillors, including 18 reserved female councillors in the North and 25 in the South.
Presently, 7 to 8 wards have been assigned to each regional executive officer, with only 10 officers responsible for overseeing the 54 wards in the North and another 10 for the 75 wards in the South.
As a result, a single administrative officer is now expected to handle service delivery for several wards, leading to further inefficiencies.
Repeated attempts to contact Local Government Secretary Md Nizam Uddin for comments on public grievances went unanswered.
Chattogram
Though Chattogram still has a mayor, all councillors have gone into hiding since 5 August.
Consequently, residents face extreme difficulties at ward offices.
Noor Jahan Begum, a resident of Halishahar, lost her husband in January and urgently needs an inheritance certificate for bank transactions and land-related matters.
However, despite two months of effort, she has yet to obtain it.
Similar predicaments persist across all 41 wards of the city, affecting essential services like smart ration cards, birth registration, and inheritance documentation.
Although no administrators have been appointed to replace councillors, Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) officials have been assigned additional responsibilities.
However, they struggle to manage both their primary administrative duties and ward-level responsibilities, further complicating service delivery.
Sylhet: In Sylhet, the absence of elected representatives has led to stalled development projects.
Some work is progressing but in an unplanned manner due to the lack of councillor oversight.
This has caused widespread public dissatisfaction.
Many citizens remain unaware of where government-appointed officials are stationed, leading to confusion about service access.
Streetlights are out of order, roads are in poor condition, and there is little to no effort to control mosquito populations.
Residents are left without a point of contact for complaints.
Mymensingh
Several roads under repair have been abandoned mid-construction as contractors fled.
Without elected representatives, municipal services are poorly coordinated.
Acquiring certificates takes an inordinate amount of time, and mosquito control measures are ineffective, making life unbearable for residents.
Due to contractor negligence, six major road and drainage projects, valued at hundreds of crores of taka, have been cancelled.
With monsoon season approaching, fears of severe waterlogging loom over the city.
Barishal
In Barishal, high-ranking government officials have been assigned to oversee 30 wards, but residents struggle to meet them. Issues like smart card cancellations have triggered protests, while poorly monitored development projects progress at a snail’s pace, raising concerns that roadworks may remain incomplete before the rainy season.
Additionally, over 1,200 house plans await approval, frustrating homeowners and real estate developers who have resorted to demonstrations.
Khulna
In Khulna, the absence of local representatives has left services in disarray.
In Batiaghata’s Jalma Union, Chairman Bidhan Chandra Roy has gone into hiding, causing disruptions in birth and death registrations, citizenship certificates, and inheritance documents. Sultan Sharmeen, a resident, shared her ordeal of struggling to obtain a citizenship certificate for her national identity card application.
Meanwhile, streetlights remain non-functional, and mosquito control efforts are virtually nonexistent.
Rangpur
In Rangpur, administrators face an overwhelming workload, making it difficult to manage civic services.
Residents complain of prolonged delays in acquiring national identity cards and other documentation.
Birth and death registrars struggle to meet demand, and dengue prevention efforts remain inadequate.
Rajshahi
In Rajshahi, 18 government officials have been assigned to oversee civic services in place of councillors, but their primary duties limit their effectiveness.
Residents report that these officials are often absent after mid-afternoon, and many travel outside the city for official duties.
Meanwhile, the city faces a mosquito infestation, with the ongoing fasting month of Ramadan exacerbating public distress over the lack of control measures.
Concerns over an impending outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases have been raised.
The paralysis of local governance has left urban populations grappling with mounting hardships, underscoring the urgent need for an administrative resolution.
