The Local Government Reform Commission has unveiled its preliminary recommendations aimed at strengthening and enhancing the effectiveness of local governance. These recommendations are designed to facilitate the ongoing consensus-building process led by the government and the newly established Consensus Commission.

Chaired by Prof. Tofayel Ahmed, the commission was formed following a government notification on November 18 by the Cabinet Division, with the primary objective of proposing reforms to improve the local government system.

In its preliminary report, the commission acknowledged delays in starting its work, highlighting that additional time will be needed to finalize the comprehensive report. However, the government has already set up a 'National Consensus Commission' to engage national leaders in discussions about the proposed reforms.

To support this consensus-building initiative, the Local Government Reform Commission has shared key recommendations for the immediate attention of both the government and the Consensus Commission.

The preliminary report includes two additional chapters: one based on an opinion survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), which gathered responses from 46,680 people across the country, and another focused on election-related issues.

Among the key recommendations are proposals related to the formation of local government bodies, their legal frameworks, electoral processes, judicial systems, financial matters, service structures, women's representation, local governance in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the establishment of a permanent Local Government Commission, and the restructuring of various ministries and departments.

The commission calls for significant reforms in the local government structure, with proposed changes to the existing three-tier system to improve its efficiency. Notably, it recommends that women occupying reserved seats automatically hold one-third of executive council positions for chairpersons and mayors, and also be allowed to serve as chairpersons of permanent committees at all levels of local government.

On financial matters, the report advocates for granting local governments greater authority to collect taxes, which would help generate more resources for local development. Additionally, it recommends the formation of a permanent Local Government Commission with constitutional status to oversee local judicial matters.

In terms of local government service structures, the report proposes establishing separate organograms for Union, Upazila, and Zilla Parishads, as well as creating a distinct department within the Ministry of Local Government to employ professionals skilled in financial auditing, performance monitoring, and project evaluation to ensure the effective functioning of local government bodies.

Another notable recommendation is the establishment of full-fledged civil, criminal, and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) courts at the upazila level, with appointed judges to handle local disputes.

The commission has made the details of its preliminary report available on its website for public review and discussion.