Rural elites make local body less effective

The privileged section of rural areas popularly known as "rural elite" have clung on to the power of local government system making it less effective, said Dr Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to the caretaker government.
Terming bureaucrats a part of "rural elites", he said bureaucrats are working to protect interest of the elites' instead of the interest of marginal people.
He also blamed "rural elites" for nurturing class division in villages that causes prevalence of social disharmony in rural areas.
Dr Khan was speaking as the chief guest at a lesson learned sharing session styled 'Active Citizens and Accountable Local Government' organised by Brac in association with United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) at the city's Brac Inn Centre yesterday.
He urged the marginal people to build a strong resistance against the absolute control of "rural elites" over the local government to secure their interest.
Khan also stressed the need for establishing a "local government commission" to strengthen local government body to make it more effective.
The commission should be assigned to work for removal of all the barriers to establish local government as an effective body so that it can protect interest of the people at grassroots level, he said
He said the voice of marginal people will get attention more, if the administration is smaller. Their voice never reached the central government.
Speaking as special guest, Prof Asif Nazrul suggested proper utilisation of the right to information act to ensure transparency and accountability in local government.
Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, country director of The Hunger Project-Bangladesh, said the citizens should be more active to make the local government body strong and effective.
Brac Executive Director Dr Mahbub Hossain chaired the function, while North-South University Prof Dilara Chowdhury and elected representatives from different union parishads, also spoke at the event.
A Brac official also delivered a presentation on a project titled 'Active Citizen and Accountable Local Government' run by Brac in association with UNDEF.