Call to ratify local govt commission ordn

Speakers at a seminar yesterday stressed the need for ratifying the Local Government Commission (LGC) Ordnance in parliament to strengthen local government system.
Addressing the seminar at the National Press Club they said the democracy will not be established without strengthening the local government system.
"Democracy can have a strong foundation when the local government system is strengthened. As Bangladesh does not have a strong local government system it has no stable democracy," said Prof Salauddin M Aminuzzaman of Dhaka University at the seminar organised by Equity and Justice Working Group.
He said local government is a nursery for building national leadership and democracy has to be institutionalised from grassroots level.
Central government, bureaucracy and financial control are the main obstacles to strengthening local government, he said, adding that if the government does not strengthen the local government it will be a violation of their election pledge.
Joynal Abedin Faruk, opposition chief whip in parliament, said they also want a strong local government system.
Office Secretary of BNP Rizvi Ahmed said uniformity of the policy is necessary to maintain a balance in the allocation of government fund for local government.
If both the lawmakers and the UP chairmen think about the development of people of their area then there should be no difference of their opinion, said Badiuzzaman, UP chairman of Hatibandha upazila.
Probin Haldar, UP chairman of Moralganj upazila, said a controlling body is necessary for monitoring the activities of local government.
UP Chairman Hafizul Islam of Parbatipur upazila said although they are going to take oath shortly but they still do not know about their responsibility and working area.