Improving upazila governance is critical for Smart Bangladesh
The upazila system, established 40 years ago, was a major step for decentralisation in Bangladesh. Introduced through a new local government ordinance in 1982, it was intended to encourage local development by directly elected people's representatives at the sub-district (upazila) level.
The constitution is the legal basis for establishing local government in the country. Article 59 (1) of the constitution specifically states, "Local government in every administrative unit of the Republic shall be entrusted to bodies composed of persons elected in accordance with law." Article 59 (2) states, "Everybody such as is referred to in clause (1) shall, subject to this Constitution and any other law, perform within the appropriate administrative unit such functions as shall be prescribed by Act of Parliament, which may include functions relating to- (a) Administration and the work of public officers; (b) the maintenance of public order; & (c) the preparation and implementation of plans relating to public services and economic development." Article 60 stipulates that "for the purpose of giving full effect to the provision of article 59, Parliament shall, by law, confer powers on the local government bodies referred to in that article, including the power to impose taxes for local purposes, to prepare their budgets, and to maintain funds." After the 15th Amendment of the constitution in 2011, Article 11 states, "Effective participation by the people through their elected representatives in administration at all levels shall be ensured."
The upazila system was a significant reform of administration through abolition of former subdivisions and upgrading "thanas" to upazilas. This new local government entities were to deliver improved services and infrastructure to the rural population. But that expectation was not met. If we look at the functioning of upazila parishads, the governance aspect is perhaps what needs most attention to understand the reasons behind inadequate planning, implementation and monitoring of development initiatives.
The principal functions of all 495 upazila parishads are to undertake development activities at the local levels; formulate upazila development plans and programmes, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of those; promote health, family planning and welfare, management of environment, implementation of government policies and programmes; supervision, control and coordination of the officers serving in the upazilas and their capacity-building; promotion of socio-cultural activities; and employment generation.
It is necessary to evaluate the upazila governance functions in order to identify the underlying factors such as lack of incentives, interest, and power of upazila parishads that may hinder their work. The government should arrange capacity building, funding and technical support so that these functions can be strengthened. There are some capacity building initiatives and projects for upazila development but those need to be strengthened for greater efficacy.
The upazila parishad consists of a chairman, two vice-chairpersons (one of them a woman), chairmen of all union parishads under that upazila, mayors of all municipalities (if any), and women members of reserved seats. The chairman and vice-chairpersons are directly elected by union parishad members. One-third of the total women members from the reserved seats in union parishads under an upazila become upazila parishad members. The women members of the reserved seats of the union parishads elect them.
The governance mechanism is established through a number of processes which are primarily: 1) holding the upazila parishad and its 17 standing committee meetings on time, which should be recorded and actions effectively followed up; 2) annual budget preparation and approval; 3) five-year development plan and annual development programme formulation; 4) annual financial statement preparation; and 5) ADP report preparation. Besides, there are such functions as assessment and collection of tax, maintenance of asset register, project implementation of different government departments at the upazila level, preparing and publicising the Citizen Charter, etc.
The upazila as a body must hold one meeting each month to take important decisions. Each of the standing committees should hold regular meetings. The standing committees are supposed to be formed on different issues such as law and order, health and family planning, and many more. Any parishad can also form additional standing committees if needed. In the meetings, the upazila parishads should discuss economic and financial issues, development related issues, operational issues, coordination issues and other miscellaneous issues.
Another important governance element is formulation of annual budget which must follow the prescribed procedures. The accounts of the parishad must be maintained well so that they can operate at a high standard and prove that the upazila can live up to the expectation of a devolved authority. The parishad must develop five year and annual plans and implement projects of local importance.
Various studies have shown that upazila parishads are not so responsive to basic needs and expectations of people and thus the government should help improve the performance of these local bodies. The governance functions are supposed to be carried out with transparency, accountability, people's participation and equal opportunities for all.
It is necessary to evaluate the upazila governance functions in order to identify the underlying factors such as lack of incentives, interest, and power of upazila parishads that may hinder their work. The government should arrange capacity building, funding and technical support so that these functions can be strengthened. There are some capacity building initiatives and projects for upazila development but those need to be strengthened for greater efficacy.
The upazila as a body must hold one meeting each month to take important decisions. Each of the standing committees should hold regular meetings. The standing committees are supposed to be formed on different issues such as law and order, health and family planning, and many more. Any parishad can also form additional standing committees if needed. In the meetings, the upazila parishads should discuss economic and financial issues, development related issues, operational issues, coordination issues and other miscellaneous issues.
Sound governance is a challenging task. People now have high expectations. Therefore, they look to elected leaders to create and sustain development of the economy, infrastructure, environment, and public utility services. For transparent, efficient and democratic governance, the upazila parishads need to follow rules and regulations properly. Their plans should be drawn up in a participatory manner so that they reflect the people's aspirations. The upazilas have huge potentials that the government should utilise for the development of a Smart Bangladesh.
Dr Nawshad Ahmed, a former UN official, is an economist and an urban planner.