The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

Rajshahi: Leaders of Rajshahi Divisional Union Parishad Chairmen Unity Alliance at a press conference held the hall room of Urban Health Care in the city have demanded to hold district council and upazila parishad elections before the holding of Parliament election. They also called upon the government as well as the election commission to start dialogue with various professional groups, civil societies and representatives from union levels in addition to the political parties. The press conference was attended, among others by Bazley Rizvi Al Hasan Al Manjil and Shahid Hasan Siddiqui Swapan, the President and the secretary(acting) respectively of of Rajshahi Divisional Union Parishad Unity Alliance, Matiur Rahman Tapan, Secretary General of Bangladesh Union Parishad Oikkya Jote Central Committee, UP chairmen Sajjad Hossain Mukul and Abul Kalam Azad.

The speakers in the meeting mentioned that the union parishad was an important institution of the local government that is why, to establish consensus in the national issues, the dialogue should not be limited only to the political parties rather all professional groups should be saturated in the dialogue.

They further said, to strengthen the local government, the district council and the upazila parishad elections should be held before the national parliament election.

They said, there was no alternative to a strong local government in case of establishing good governance, democracy and foundation of development at the grassroot levels. They mentioned, many local socio-economic problems can be solved through a strong local government. They also demanded to keep the local government free from the intervention of bureaucracy, local MPs and to remove discrepancy of fund of the local government.

The speakers said, the local government has been given the responsibility of conducting 10 mandatory jobs including maintaining law and order, controlling crime and smuggling, development of agriculture, fisheries, cottage industries, irrigation and communication and many other jobs but the union parishad does not have required manpower, fund or assets for performing those jobs.

The speakers hoped, the incumbent caretaker government will take positive step to bring a massive reform in the prevailing local government system and strengthen and accelerate it further.

The union parishad leaders also demanded to increase honorarium, allowance and an increased government allocation in the national development budget.