Pranab Kumar Panday

Central Local Relations, Inter-Organisational Coordination and Policy Implementation in Urban Bangladesh

What happens to policy implementation when the process suffers from problems of coordination? In this article, the focus is on how central-local relations create inter-organisational coordination problems, which in the long run affect the implementation of policies in urban governance. In the case of the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) in Bangladesh, the central-local relationship is determined by the political identity of the mayor. By virtue of his attachment with the party in power, the RCC receives more favours especially in terms of the allocation of resources from the central government. These resources facilitate the completion of many development projects.What happens to policy implementation when the process suffers from problems of coordination? In this article, the focus is on how central-local relations create inter-organisational coordination problems, which in the long run affect the implementation of policies in urban governance. In the case of the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) in Bangladesh, the central-local relationship is determined by the political identity of the mayor. By virtue of his attachment with the party in power, the RCC receives more favours especially in terms of the allocation of resources from the central government. These resources facilitate the completion of many development projects.

Inter-Organizational Coordination and Corruption in Urban Policy Implementation in Bangladesh: A Case of Rajshahi City Corporation

This article provides an overview of the state of inter-organizational coordination and corruption in urban policy implementation in Bangladesh. Based on a study carried out in one of the seven large cities in Bangladesh, the available data illustrate that there are major coordination problems between the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) and other government departments. This is due to a lack of formal coordination mechanisms, partisan leadership, and a fragmented organizational culture of patron-clientage, which dispenses undue favor and involves nepotism. These pathologies breed corruption and seriously impede inter-organizational coordination. Ordinary citizens suffer as a result.

The judicial system of Bangladesh: an overview from historical viewpoint

Purpose – The main aim of this paper is to analyze judicial system of Bangladesh, which comprises all courts and tribunals that performs the delicate task of ensuring rule of law in the society. The paper depicts the history and evolution of the judicial system in Bangladesh from ancient period to present day.Design/methodology/approach – The study is qualitative in nature and based on secondary sources of materials like books, journal articles, government orders, rules, acts, newspaper reports, etc. Relevant literature has also been collected through internet browsing.Findings – The major findings of this paper are: there is a well‐organized court system in Bangladesh which is in fact the replica of the system introduced by British rulers and it is widely accepted in the original Constitution of Bangladesh. The ancient judicial system was not based on rule of law rather on caprice and caste consideration. The executive branch of government always attempts to control the judiciary through different mechan...

Decentralisation without decentralisation: Bangladesh’s failed attempt to transfer power from the central government to local governments

This article addresses decentralising initiatives in Bangladesh with reference, first, to significant literature on decentralisation in the context of development and, thereafter, to a particular reform involving the introduction of the Upazila Parishad (UZP) as a potentially important tier of local government. While the reform heralded a possible expansion of local participation and the taking of responsive local action, the functioning of the UZP has not lived up to the promises and expectations. A lack of a proper transfer of power and responsibility to the elected representatives, the existence of centrally-controlled administration and planning, and the extensive interference of politicians and bureaucrats has limited considerably the capacity of the UZP to operate effectively. Only through a reduction of central control and a recasting of local action will it be able to achieve its significant goals and objectives as a vital form of local government and governance.

Do legal prescriptions ensure public accountability? Insights and lessons from local governments in Bangladesh

This article, which is based on qualitative research, addresses legally-prescribed mechanisms of public accountability and the extent of their use and effect at the lowest level of local government in Bangladesh. The findings are that, while various mechanisms have been established, they have not been effective in holding local representatives to account for what they do and achieve. The main reasons for this have been the unresponsiveness of the representatives, as well as the inability and/or reluctance of local residents to exercise their formal rights of participation and control. These matters pose fundamental challenges which must be the focus of comprehensive change and reform aimed at significantly strengthening local governance and democracy.

Women’s Political Participation in Bangladesh: Role of Women’s Organizations

Reviewing the history of women’s movement, this article expects to find a large role of women’s organizations in the process of change that has helped to increase participation of women in local government political process of Bangladesh. While there is considerable support for the presence of the women’s movement, there is much ambivalence as to the specifics of such influence: its objects, means, and magnitude. The difficulty in assessing influence may stem from the reliance on informal channels, which makes tracing and tracking influence a great challenge, and calls for more grounded research to expose the intricate interactions between actors.

Women’s Political Participation in Bangladesh: The Role of Political Parties

What have political parties done for the enactment of the Local Government (Union Parishads) (Second Amendment) Act, 1997 (hereinafter the Act of 1997) that seems to have a greater impact on creating space for women’s participation in politics in Bangladesh by introducing direct election for women in three reserved seats at the local government?

Problems of Coordination in Field Administration in Bangladesh: Does Informal Communication Matter?

The main thrust of the article is to analyze the state of problems of inter-organizational coordination in the upazila (second tier of local government) in Bangladesh. It also explains to what extent informal communication matters for inter-organizational coordination. Based on empirical data collected in 2009, findings of the study suggest that a number of factors have facilitated non-existence of inter-organizational coordination at the upazila. These factors include lack of division of activities, dualism in control over officers, lack of proper functioning of the committees, and dual authority in disbursement of funds and its impact on timely disbursement. Findings also suggest that in the absence of coordination among different departments, informal communication has been observed to be one of the prominent mechanisms of ensuring coordination. However, existence of factors like lack of willingness to be engaged in informal communication and lack of cooperation has hindered the process of building informal communication among different departments. Despite having some problems this research has concluded that informal communication has helped the process of coordination among different departments while they are carrying out their responsibilities.

Good Governance at the Grass-roots

Considering the importance of good governance, the article explores the governance situation of the lowest local government tier (Union Parishad) in Bangladesh. Through the application of four good governance indicators—leadership, people’s participation, transparency and accountability and equity—the expectation is that the findings would add a new dimension to the existing knowledge of local governance. Based on empirical data collected from the field, the study findings suggest that the governance situation at the local level is not conducive for the establishment of good governance and strong local democracy in the country. Despite incorporation of different provisions (ward shava, open budget, citizen charter and right to information) in the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act of 2009, the government has failed to ensure participation, accountability, good governance and transparency. Against this backdrop, the governance of local government bodies has been characterised by reluctance of local government leaders in ensuring development, lack of people’s participation, transparency and accountability and unequal distribution of services.

Promotion and Impact of a Water and Sanitation Program in Rural Bangladesh

This paper is an attempt to discuss the promotion and impact of a program undertaken for the improvement of water and sanitation problems in rural Bangladesh. This program is carried out through the Village Development Committees (VDCs) in partnership with local and international non-government organizations. The main focus of this article is to examinee the extent to which VDCs are able to solve the WatSan problems to get rid of waterborne diseases and arsenicosis in rural Bangladesh.