The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Chattogram has voiced strong concerns over the governance of local government institutions, stating that public grievances cannot be effectively addressed by bureaucrat-dependent, part-time administrators.
The organisation argued that despite the constitutional mandate for local government institutions to be managed by the local population, successive governments have used these institutions to serve their own political interests.
In a statement issued today (2 October), CAB Chattogram Division and City Committee criticised the ongoing practice of appointing part-time government officials to replace elected representatives in city corporations, municipalities, and zilla and upazila parishads.
The statement, signed by several senior CAB leaders, argued that this approach undermines the self-governance initiatives of local people and strengthens bureaucratic control over local government, similar to previous administrations.
The CAB leaders highlighted the issue of part-time officials who, already burdened with their own responsibilities, are unable to manage local institutions effectively.
They called for full-time administrators drawn from non-partisan local social workers, teachers, religious leaders, and professionals to restore the institutions’ representative character.
The statement also reflected on the historical removal of elected representatives.
The CAB claimed that the interim government led by Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, formed after the student-led uprising on 5 August, had removed local representatives and installed part-time administrators, following the pattern set by earlier governments.
It emphasised that such moves weakened the democratic character of local government institutions.
Furthermore, the body criticised the partisan nature of local government elections, noting that the multi-party nature of these institutions was diminished by amendments made by the Awami League government in 2015.
The change to holding elections under party symbols resulted in local government institutions becoming aligned with ruling party interests rather than serving as true public representative bodies.
The organisation called for a comprehensive reform of the election system for local government institutions, emphasising the need to restore their non-partisan, representative character.
