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Empowering Citizens through Decentralization: A Study of Local Governance and Participatory Democracy in Bangladesh
Dr. Md. Ruhul Amin
Abstract:
The paper explores how decentralization impacts on individual empowerment and the development of participatory democracy in Bangladesh with reference to the local government institutions. Bangladesh has improved by giving the local governments more power due to the passing of the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act in 2009 to ensure more people are involved in government. Over 65,000 elected officials represent Union Parishads in 2021. This indicates that the citizens are increasing in participation in grassroots democracy. The research used a mixed-methods approach, combining the quantitative analysis of data provided by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) with a qualitative analysis based on the interviews of the officials of the local governments and the community leaders. The results show that decentralization has enhanced citizens' participation in decision-making with nearly 60 percent of Union Parishads attesting that they have more people involved in the development projects in their localities . The report, however, notes that decentralization is yet to achieve full potential because of the problems still affecting it. These issues are a lack of financial independence, insufficient resources and the interference of politics. The findings reveal that decentralization has made residents have some power, yet changes should be increased to make things open, accountable, and fair at the local level. The study not only gives us a better understanding of the local governance in Bangladesh but also provides policy recommendations to reinforce the instilled values of democracy and promote more people to participate in civic activities.
Keywords:
Participatory Democracy, Local Governance, Decentralization, Citizen Empowerment, Bangladesh.
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