Recasting the Upazila Parishad Act

THE caretaker government's decision to bring in changes to the Upazila (UZ) Parishad Act of 1998 is timely and apt. This is welcome mainly because of the nature of the two changes that are waiting for the law ministry's nod before being passed as ordinance.
One of the amendments will prevent the unnecessary, and certainly detrimental, interference of the local MPs because of their role in the function of the parishads provided for in the 1998 UZ Parishad Act.
The second amendment will revert back to the EC the authority to decide the election schedule of the Parishad, which had heretofore been in the hands of the government.
The UZ happens to be a very important tier of the government that allows devolution of power to the local authorities in achieving efficient governance, particularly in the realm of economic development, at the local level.
It was sad to see the BNP's efforts during its tenure in 1991, to negate the idea of the UZ system altogether, by dissolving the system; and in spite of the Supreme Court's orders to hold the UZ elections, it did not comply. Now that the authority to decide on the elections dates has devolved on the EC it will, we hope, spare the system the partisan intrusion into the running of its affairs. Most of all, election to the Parishad will not depend on the political whims of the party in power, as we saw happen since the passage of the 1998 Act, when election proposals were shot down by senior ministers and lawmakers.
Allowing the local representatives a role in the UZ Parishad activities was not very prudent either. The caretaker government has fulfilled a longstanding demand to rid the UZ system of a shortcoming, which had stood in the way of its efficient functioning.
The MP's job is to legislate, not administer. Unfortunately, the Act of 1998 introduced by the AL witnessed not only undue influence but the Parishads were subjected also to tremendous pressure by MPs having conflicting and divergent interests. The consequent abuse of power and corruption were there for all to see.
Needless to say, the local government institution has to be strengthened if Bangladesh is to develop through grassroots level participation. We hope that the two amendments will go a long way in achieving that objective.