The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a roundtable in the city yesterday underlined the need for strengthening local government institutions by developing power at different tiers in such a way that they do not have contradictions with MPs or ministers.

Addressing the roundtable on local government polls as chief guest, former chief election commissioner Justice Mohammed Abdur Rauf emphasised the need for overcoming conceptual problems on the role of local government to overcome dispute over it and get honest and eligible candidates.

He suggested reducing domination of administration over the local governments and said the country should have local government not local administration.

Free Thinkers Forum, Bangladesh (FTF), a newly floated think tanker, organised the roundtable at the National Press Club in the city.

Presided over by formal Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof M Moniruzzaman Miah, the roundtable was also addressed, among others, by eminent economist Prof Dr Mahbub Ullah, Naya Diganta Editor Alamgir Mohiuddin, New Nation Editor Mostafa Kamal Majumder, eminent journalists Sadeque Khan, Amanullah Kabir and Maruf Kamal Khan Sohel local government experts Prof Dr Tofayel Ahmed and Prof Abdun Noor, Poet Mahbubul Haque, researcher Shah Abdul Halim, Prof Meer Kamal Chowdhury, Prof Abdul Latif Masum and Abu Naser Md Rahmatullah.

FTF Chairman Jahangir Chowdhury presented the keynote paper in the function.

The chief guest underlined the need for preparing separate voter lists to hold the local government polls saying that a person having establishments at different places cannot exercise his/her right to vote for being enlisted only at one place under the national voter lists.

He observed that the tenure of the local governments should be for maximum two years.

Prof Moniruzzaman Miah in his presidential address underlined the need for abiding by the Constitution saying, "We should have to do everything abiding by the Constitution, otherwise, we have to face trouble."

He suggested that the government should perform its prime responsibilities to hold the general election first and said the caretaker government has no jurisdiction to hold any other poll.

Moniruzzaman Miah alleged that the Election Commission has lost its neutrality through its controversial activities.

Prof Mahbub Ullah said people do not want to bring about major amendments to the Constitution.

Opposing creation disputes over the Constitution, he cautioned that this would threaten country's independence and sovereignty.

Alamgir Mohiuddin termed the present government as most mismanaged one. He emphasised the need for arranging elections on a regular basis and said honest and eligible candidates would come up thorough holding free and fair elections.

Amanullah Kabir held the caretaker government system responsible for the present situation in the political arena.

Mostafa Kamal Majumder said the candidates who are elected by the people are honest and eligible.

He called upon the government and researchers to investigate the reasons of friction between local government bodies at district and upazila levels with the central government. Such friction was not there with Union Parishad, he said.

He suggested developing of power to upazila and zila parishad chairmen in such a way that power conflict with members of Parliament and ministers can be avoided.

Prof Tofayel Ahmed said both local government and Parliament have to be strengthened to ensure flourishing of democracy in the country.

Jahangir Chowdhury in his keynote paper said a history might be created if the Election Commission could present a successful local government election to the nation. Otherwise, the nation has to face its consequence, he added.