Adopt nat'l decentralisation policy for dev activities

Prof Salahuddin M Aminuzzaman speaks at a seminar at the Cirdap auditorium in the city yesterday. On his right are Mohsin Ali, Motia Chowdhury and Hasanul Haq Inu. Photo: STAR

Local government experts and politicians at a seminar yesterday said a national decentralisation policy will have to be formulated with a call to start development activities from grassroots level through ensuring decentralisation of politics, administration and finance.
The decentralisation policy should be formulated through consulting all stakeholders, especially politicians, local body experts and leaders, bureaucrats and members of civil society, they added.
Governance Advocacy Forum organised the seminar on 'Democratic decentralisation campaign' at Cirdap auditorium in the city where speakers said democracy could be decentralised through strengthening the local government.
Coordinator of the forum Mohsin Ali said no government took initiatives to formulate a national decentralisation policy even after passing 37 years since the liberation war.
Awami League presidium member Motia Chowdhury said decentralisation is the precondition of democracy and the country's development will not be ensured without decentralisation of politics, administration and finance.
“The campaign for democratic decentralisation is well for the nation but it has begun at the time when the country has no democracy,” she said while addressing the seminar.
Economist Dr Atiur Rahman said every local government body should have a mini-parliament where elected leaders of the local bodies would take their own planning and budget.
BNP leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said the local government should have an audit system so that corruption cannot touch it.
Awami League leader Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Communist Party of Bangladesh General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President Hasanul Haq Inu and Jatiya Party leader Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu also spoke.