Covid-19 and the Local Government Institutions in Bangladesh: Way Forward

PROFESSOR DR. TOFAIL AHMED Vice Chancellor Britannia University Local Governance Specialist

Introduction

This is a policy brief sponsored by the Center for Governance Studies (CGS) on the role of Local Government Institutions (LGIs) during the Covid regime in Bangladesh with the following three issues as ToR for the study:

1. Impacts of Covid-19 on the local governments.
2. Major challenges that the local government faced during the pandemic.
3. The ways forward and the strategies to address the challenges that the central government should take.

1. The GOB local administration, LGIs like JP, UJP, UP along with CSOs and voluntary sector, should meet in a series of review sessions to outline the challenges so far encountered and find out ways forward.
2. Both carrying out normal development activities and managing any special crisis, the people’s institutions like the LGIs (UP, Municipalities, JP & UJP) should be treated as a single entity, in the first place. Despite their separate roles and responsibilities, they should chalk out their respective functions on the basis of mutual consultations.
3. The UNO should not issue direct orders to the UPs regarding distribution of any GOB grant or disaster relief. It should be discussed in the UJP meeting first, and then the order should be issued in accordance with the decision of the meeting.
4. The UP Chair with ‘Tag Officers’ should not prepare/approve any beneficiary list without the decision of the LG bodies. This is also the dictate of the existing LG laws which is often ignored.
5. Digitization in handling relief operations, preparation of budget, maintenance of accounts, household register and stock register is essential.
6. The Newly constructed Union Parishad Complexes have office spaces for all the 13 UP level GOB officials. All GOB officials should be accommodated at the UP complex and the UP should coordinate their activities.
7. The general UP meetings as well as Standing Committee meetings should be held regularly so that the local body does not remain a chairman- and mayor-dominated organization, which has become the usual practice.
8. The enhancement of skills of the Members/commissioners and the Chairpersons/Mayors is essential to make the Ward Sobha, Standing Committees, budget-making, financial transactions and development and service plans of the LGIs meaningful.
9. The Jila Parishad is kept at bay from governance and development process. Measures should be taken to enable the JPs to contribute jointly with the other LGIs.
10. A framework for intra-and inter LG cooperation and coordination mechanism should be developed.
11. The role of the DC and the UNOs need to be redefined with regard to the interventions in the affairs of LGIs.