Local Government Will Be Strengthened Further By Decentralizing Power: PM

"We believe that the local government will have to be strengthened further by decentralizing power. Whatever the local government gets strengthened, the people will receive that many services," she said.

She said though the size of the country is small, the population is big. "So it is very difficult to provide services to the huge population. But we will have to do that difficult task," she said.

In this connection, the Prime Minister blasted the post-75 military rulers for not giving attention to strengthen the local government bodies.

She said after the tragic assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975, the power grabbers did not take any steps to strengthen the local government bodies. "Rather they were busy with consolidating their own power," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said this while addressing officials of the Local Government, Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives Ministry during her visit to the ministry at Bangladesh Secretariat here this morning.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam spoke on the occasion.

State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Moshiur Rahman Ranga, PM's Principal Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikdar, PMO Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad, Local Government Division Secretary Manzur Hossain, Rural Development and Cooperatives Secretary MA Qader Sarkar, PM's Press Secretary AKM Shamim Chowdhury and high officials of the ministry were present on the occasion.

The Prime Minister said in order to strengthen the local government system, the government has a plan to hand over power and responsibility to the district council, upazila parishad and union parishad gradually.

"Health, education, law and order, infrastructure development and social safety and other development programmes would be handed over to the local government bodies gradually by rearranging the tiers of local government organizations.

Sheikh Hasina also directed the authorities concerned for ensuring transparency and accountability in the activities of the local government institutions. "Whatever allocations we're giving, if those are spent properly, then the facelift of the country including the rural areas will be changed," she said.

Stressing the need for planned urbanization and increasing civic amenities across the country, Sheikh Hasina said there is a directive of the government to frame a master plan for every upazila.

"Urbanization will have to be made by protecting the agriculture land as farm land is destroyed every year due to unplanned urbanization," she said.

The Prime Minister said the government has also a commitment to link the village, union and upazila headquarters with the road network.

She said the local government division will have to work with more integrity to execute these commitments of the government.

The Prime Minister directed authorities concerned of the local government institutions to maintain coordination and complete the projects on time.

"There should have coordination in accomplishing task," she said, adding that they will have to be careful so that the people get services at low cost.

Sheikh Hasina mentioned that the local government organizations have an important role in alleviating poverty and establishing good governance in the country.

-Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)