The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Chairman and members of union parishad, the grass root organ of local government, called free, fair election before national assembly election and autonomous, strong local government to establish sustainable democratic good governance.

Chief Guest of the programme also called for participation of the defense force in government for the sake of the nation and democracy.

The regional gathering programme was organised by Bangladesh Union Parishad Oikya Jote at Barisal Aswani Kumar Hall on Saturday and presided over by Muhammad Hossain Sikdar, chairman of Kashipur union parishad of Barisal city outskirt.

Prof. Dr. Anisuzzaman, chairman of philosophy department of Dhaka University and businessman Sharfuddin Santu, were chief and special guests of the program.

About more than eight hundred chairmen and male, female members from 339 UP of 40 upazilas under 6 districts of Barisal division invited as 3 representatives from each union through local upazila nirbahi officers and financed by unknown sources to participate in these grand gathering.

Matiur Rahman and Sajjadul Islam Molla, UP chairmen, took part as chief and special discussants and among others Khondokar Wahidul Islam,, Shaila Sharmin, Abdul Matin Sardar, addressed the programme.

The UP chairmen and members said everybody emphasized on strengthening autonomous local government, for sustainable democratic government and good governance. However, local lawmakers, administration and ministers always controlling union parishad preventing this body from working freely for the interest and development of the mass people.

They alleged that power for execution of collecting revenue, budget and planning for income and expenditure and development works written in paper, virtually never implemented and always prevented by those vested corners.

The UP chairmen and members said they prefer election of local government under this non-political, impartial caretaker government before national assembly, because of conducting fair election, free from interference of political government and their controlled administrative machinery.