Activists at a press conference on Tuesday raised doubts about the effectiveness of local government institutions if reforms based on recommendations of the Local Government Reform Commission were implemented.
The Governance Advocacy Forum, a coalition of civil society organisations, organised the event at the National Press Club in the capital Dhaka.
The forum demanded that local government reforms should be guided by the principles of democratic decentralisation.
Wave Foundation executive director Md Mohsin Ali said that although they agreed with some aspects of the commission鈥檚 recommendations, certain proposals needed to be reconsidered.
The commission has proposed restructuring the local government system in a parliamentary-style format, dividing it into two segments鈥� legislative and executive.
鈥榃e have seen that our national parliament is not functioning effectively and, therefore, our union councils will not operate efficiently under this structure,鈥� he said.
In a written statement, the Governance Advocacy Forum also criticised the commission鈥檚 proposal to set a minimum educational qualification of a bachelor鈥檚 degree for candidates running for mayor or chairman positions.
鈥業f a mayor or chairman is required to have a graduation degree, lawmakers of Jatiya Sangsad will be required to have even higher qualifications,鈥� the statement read.
The forum further pointed out inconsistencies in the commission鈥檚 recommendations, particularly regarding non-partisan elections for local government bodies while proposing a 鈥榮hadow council鈥�. It raised concerns over the lack of clarity on how leaders of this council would be elected.
The interim government formed 12 reform commissions, including the Local Government Reform Commission, to improve governance structures in Bangladesh.
The commission submitted its draft reform proposals on February 23.
Among others, Noakhali Rural Development Society executive director Abdul Awal, Wave Foundation deputy director Kaniz Fatima, and Shield executive director Md Mahbub Alam Firoz spoke at the event.
