Immediate local government elections urged to ensure effective citizen services

The Institute for Planning and Development (IPD) has called on the government to immediately take steps to hold elections for city corporations, municipalities, district councils, and upazila councils so that local government institutions can function effectively and deliver proper services to citizens.

In a press statement signed by IPD Executive Director Dr Adil Muhammad Khan, the think tank said the absence of elected representatives at the local level for an extended period has disrupted service delivery and weakened accountability.

IPD also expressed concern that the appointment of administrators from the ruling political party in six city corporations will further weaken the local governance structures and could lead to unethical influence and complicate efforts to address issues such as extortion at the local level. 

The statement noted that following the change of government on 5 August 2024, mayors, chairmen, and councillors resigned, leading to the removal of local representatives in 12 city corporations, 330 municipalities, 497 upazila councils, and 64 district councils. With these bodies now run by administrators rather than elected representatives – except for union parishads – citizen services have been severely disrupted.

The IPD statement noted that appointing administrators in city corporations is unlikely to improve citizens' access to public services because most services are delivered through councillors' office, which are currently vacant.  So there is no alternative but to quickly organise elections for local government bodies to resolve the ongoing difficulties in service delivery.

IPD also urged the government to hold elections without party symbols and to restore the non-partisan and people-oriented character of local government institutions.