"The government should immediately set up an independent local government commission which would act as a court," former adviser to the caretaker government Dr Akbar Ali Khan said while speaking as the chief guest.

He also stressed the need to strengthen cooperation between the local government bodies and the central government for institutionalising democracy.

Bangladesh Adivasi Andolon organised the meeting on 'Obstacles to the decentralisation of government: Sharing experiences from plain land and Chittagong Hill Tracts" at the Biam auditorium in the city.

Dr Akbar Ali Khan observed that the obstacles facing the local government bodies in the plain land are similar to those in the hill districts.

The successive democratic governments have, in fact, failed to understand the spirit of democracy, he said, adding that in this form of governance, the elected representatives should ensure the participation of grassroots people in the governance process, but the people suffered exclusion in all those years.

He also emphasised the need to integrate the minority and indigenous people into the mainstream.

He lamented that though the government enacts laws, it is reluctant to implement those. "The lack of willingness to enforce laws is a major obstacle to strengthening democracy," he added.

Prof Mesbah Kamal said there should be a demarcation of duties between the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) affairs ministry and other ministries and administrative bodies and the hill district council and regional council.

According to the CHT peace accord, the hill district councils should be responsible for the maintenance of security, land management and supervision and coordination of all development activities, but it remains only in paper, he added.

Prof Dr HKS Arefin, president of Bangladesh Adivasi Odhikar Andolon, said the traditional governance system of the indigenous people in the CHT region comprises three tiers -- Raja, Headman and Karbari -- but it has not been incorporated into the country's governance system.

Maj Gen (Rtd) Amin Ahmed Chowdhury Bir Bikram, Prof Hayat Mamud, Dr Badiul Alam Majumder and Dr FR Al Siddique also spoke.