Stretched thin but determined, local bureaucrats are keeping governance alive
Since the sudden demise of the Awami League government and elected public representatives going on the run or having been dismissed, bureaucrats have stepped in to fill the vacuum of governance
On the morning of Eid-ul-Fitr this year, cheerful greetings echoed everywhere. But inside the Upazila Parishad office, there was no festivity.
Md Khairul Islam, the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Kalihati in Tangail, sat at his desk, coordinating with law enforcement and monitoring updates from various unions.
"I did not leave my post during Eid. None of us did. It is a small sacrifice. We had to stay back to ensure everything ran smoothly. I could have gone home to see my family. But when people see their government offices open during Eid, they feel assured," he said.
Since the sudden collapse of the Awami League government, Bangladesh's local governance structure has undergone a drastic transformation. With elected public representatives either dismissed or fleeing, bureaucrats — particularly UNOs, assistant commissioners of Land (ACs Land) and other government officials — have stepped in to fill the vacuum.
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From managing development projects to resolving community disputes, these administrators now shoulder responsibilities far beyond their mandates. While their efforts have brought a level of transparency and restored some public trust, experts warn that this stopgap solution is unsustainable.
The question is: How is governance being redefined at the grassroots level and whether the absence of political representation can truly serve the people in the long term?
The dramatic shift began following the collapse of the Awami League government on 5 August last year. With over 300 municipalities and 12 city corporations affected, thousands of public representatives — city mayors, upazila chairmen and union parishad leaders — were either dismissed or fled fearing backlash.
Since then, governance has not stopped; rather, it has reshaped itself.
Dr Sadik Hasan, professor of Public Administration at Dhaka University, observed, "The central government replaced elected representatives with bureaucrats — mostly BCS cadre officials. But one UNO handling the work of multiple union chairmen is unsustainable."
The situation in Kalihati reflects this balancing act as the UNO is now acting as the upazila chairman.
"We are doing everything within the legal framework. There are clear laws for every responsibility we are given. As long as we follow the rules, things function," said Md Khairul Islam.
Still, the pressure is immense. He and his colleagues have taken on roles far beyond their job descriptions, like chairing school-college governing bodies, allocating and managing development projects, and even coordinating basic services like sanitation and road maintenance.
Khairul admitted, "Yes, we are overloaded. But we are trying to work with the people, for the people."
The absence of public representatives has pushed administrative officers into unprecedented positions.
There are over 20 educational institutions in this upazila. Earlier, each of them had separate governing bodies. Now, one man is handling all of it. The scale of work for one official is intimidating. But I see hope. I have seen many officers come and go, but this batch has earned our respect. They stayed back when they could have left for home. That matters to us, that builds trust.
According to Dr Mohammad Kamrul Hasan, deputy secretary at the Ministry of Public Administration, "If one UNO now handles the responsibilities of 10 unions. Naturally, delays occur. The system was not designed this way; when we concentrate too much authority in one place, service delivery slows down, citizens suffer."
Similarly, in Faridpur upazila of Pabna, the newly appointed UNO, Mahbub Hasan has also been going through similar challenges. When he joined in January, the pace was very sluggish.
Altaf Hosen, a member of Hadal union parishad's Ward 9, said that when the previous chairman, Selim Reza was in office, corruption was out of control.
"He would call us twice a month to take commissions from development project funds under the guise of 'updates.' Now, the UNO holds monthly meetings and physically inspects the projects himself. There is no scope for corruption now," he added.
Altaf further said that even though the progress is slow, the change in approach has encouraged them, and frequent meetings would help more. "But we understand; UNO sir's responsibilities are stretched thin."
Alhaz Abdud Dayen, a former chairman of Hadal union (1991-1996), pointed out that his union alone has nine wards, and there are six such unions in the upazila.
"There are over 20 educational institutions in this upazila. Earlier, each of them had separate governing bodies. Now, one man is handling all of it. The scale of work for one official is intimidating," he said.
"But I see hope. I have seen many officers come and go, but this batch has earned our respect. They stayed back when they could have left for home. That matters to us, that builds trust. The situation is getting better, even if it's slow," he added.
Ripon Kumar Sarker, a resident of Hadal union, lives across a canal that has isolated his village for decades. "We waited 30 years for a bridge. Finally, we got one — but it was left incomplete when the last government fell. But now, development work has slowly resumed. The work on the bridge has restarted. It brings hope."
Rafiq Molla from Ward 5 also noted visible progress. He said, "They are fixing roads, filling gaps — things are moving again."
Enamul Haque, a social welfare officer formerly assigned to Faridpur's Ward 4 before transferring to Naogaon, highlighted the initial chaos.
"At first, it was tough. We are government officers, not politicians. We had our regular duties, and suddenly, we were tasked with overseeing union or pourashava responsibilities as well. People would come with problems we had no prior experience solving — land disputes, local conflicts and school/college management issues. It forced us to learn quickly," he said.
He added, "It was never a one-man show. It took the UNO, the AC Land, and most importantly, the public working together."
This collaboration has become the backbone of local administration in the absence of politicians. The absence of political bias among civil servants has unexpectedly brought transparency in some areas.
But how sustainable is this structure?
"Rather than removing all representatives affiliated with the former ruling party, the government should have only dismissed those with legal charges. This blanket removal has left governance in limbo," Dr Sadik Hasan said.
He believes reinstating those with clean records could restore balance and ease the burden on bureaucrats.
Dr Kamrul Hasan agrees, suggesting that adding more trained personnel might help. "We need manpower. These officers cannot be everywhere at once."
In Kalihati, Md Khairul Islam remains hopeful. "We're following the laws and doing what needs to be done. As long as we stick to the rules, there should not be any problems," he said.
But even he knows that this is a temporary solution. Real governance requires representation. Until then, holidays will remain workdays. Bureaucrats will continue to juggle dual roles. And the public takes comfort in the fact that someone stayed back to keep the wheels turning.
