Elected leadership can restore union parishad functioning
We are concerned about the protracted leadership crisis at the local government bodies, particularly union parishads (UPs), where the continued absence of chairmen is disrupting the provision of essential services. Since the July uprising last year, UP chairpersons connected to the ousted Awami League government have been largely missing in action. Many either went into hiding or were arrested over alleged connections to criminal activities. According to the LGRD ministry, of the 4,575 UP chairmen across Bangladesh, at least 1,535 remain absent.
Although administrators have been brought in to fill the vacuum, residents in many UPs, according to a report by this daily, are still facing delays and other disruptions in obtaining vital documents, causing them various complications. The administrators who were appointed to carry out the chairpersons' tasks (as an additional responsibility) are still struggling to do it effectively due to various reasons, including lack of leadership experience, unfamiliarity with the job's nature, overwhelming workload, etc. This has led to severe disruptions in several public services. For example, the beneficiary lists for the VGF and VGD programmes have not been updated as planned, causing delays in providing support to new recipients.
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Union parishads are responsible for issuing birth, death, character, and citizen certificates, which are essential documents required to access many government services. UPs also play a crucial role in administering the social safety net programmes, running village courts, implementing rural development projects, and maintaining law and order. UP chairmen are best positioned to manage these tasks due to their local connections and understanding of their constituents' needs. We cannot expect the same level of expertise or tact from administrators, but the problems and sufferings thus caused cannot continue either. Enough time has passed for any test or trial the government may have needed to deal with the UP crisis. People expect results now.
We urge the government to take more targeted measures, including mobilising necessary resources, to equip the union parishads so that essential services can be provided without unnecessary hassle or delay. However, the most effective way to resolve this crisis would be to hold fresh local government elections and properly reconstitute the union parishads. This is how this system was designed to function, with people's representatives taking care of their needs. In our view, there is no need to wait for the national elections to conduct the local government elections. In fact, holding these elections could serve as a dress rehearsal for the national polls. More importantly, it will restore normalcy to the delivery of public services.
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