Local Government in Bangladesh: A Critical Analysis of The Local Government (Union Parishad) Act, 2009 & The Local Government (City Corporation) Act, 2009.

Abstract

Bangladesh was administered by Pakistan for 24 years and the British Raj for 190 years, respectively, leaving Bangladesh with a colonial-style municipal government. Since independence, there have actually been a number of initiatives to enhance local governments through decentralization under various regimes. Despite these attempts, it has received widespread criticism for being too centrally controlled. However, over the past few years, it has been observed that the nation has undergone some significant reform initiatives to enhance the function and capability of local government organizations. More precisely, the cooperation of the government and development partners has resulted in a variety of decentralization projects and programs. In light of this, this paper seeks to assess Bangladesh’s local government system.