Form decentralisation commission
Speakers urge govt
Governance Advocacy Forum (GAF) yesterday urged the government to form a decentralisation commission soon as is said in the ruling party's election manifesto.
The forum emphasised that decentralisation commission is important to make effective the local government system.
The urge was made at a news conference organised the forum at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in the city. GAF coordinator Mohsin Ali read out the keynote paper.
The conference was a part of the platform's weeklong campaign for “democratic decentralisation and self-regulated local government.”
GAF leaders said there is no alternative to strengthening the local government for sustainable development and good governance.
Local government needs administrative and economic freedom to be effective, said noted economist Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad.
The decentralisation commission, which would be a permanent and special institutional system, would help the government in this regard, he added.
“It (the decentralisation commission) will also prepare reports and will help the government implement the recommendations of the reports.”
The speakers said key functions of the commission would be to prepare a “democratic decentralisation policy” in the light of the constitution, the government's election manifesto, and Vision 2021.
In the policy, the commission must ensure authority of the elected representatives of the local government and accountability and proper monitoring for an effective local government system, they said.
It would also review the local government laws and present recommendations for reformation to the government.
The document of the campaign was formally handed over to Meher Afroz Chumki, MP and Mohammad Israfil Alam, MP.
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