The government is reportedly mulling the removal of chairmen and members of current Union Parishads (UPs) as well as dissolution of UPs formed during the ousted Awami League regime.
However, the interim government is in a dilemma over the matter as if the current UP chairmen and members are removed, the large-scale removal will require appointment of numerous administrators. It will be difficult for the government to appoint a huge number of bureaucrats as administrators to the lowest tier of the local government in absence of elected representatives.
On the other hand, if the current Union Parishads are dissolved, absence of elected representatives will hamper the civic services in rural level. In the present context, it is also difficult for the current government to hold fresh UP polls as soon as possible by removing thousands of public representatives.
In such a situation, no final decision about Union Parishads has been taken yet.
Meanwhile, speculation is in the air that the UP chairmen and members across the country may be removed as BNP has demanded dissolution of the Union Parishads, while one third of the UP chairmen are on the run.
On the other hand, the UP chairmen and members across the country demanded to the government to allow them to remain in
office for the full duration of elected terms. They, however, threatened to go for movement if the government moves for removing them.
As part of a central programme, the UP chairmen and members under the banner ‘Bangladesh Union Parishad Association’ and ‘Union Parishad Member Kalyan Association’ formed human chain and held protest rallies across the country on Sunday (October 20).
Chairmen and members from various unions gathered in different district towns and held the protest rallies.
Members of different unions of Thakurgan district gathered in front Thakurgan Press Club and formed a human chain.
At the end of the human chain, they handed over a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Thakurgaon.
The UP members said that they have worked hard to protect the lives and property of the people following inaction of police after August 5. If any Union Parishad chairman and member is against the movement of the students, actions should be taken against them. But if all the Union Parishads in this situation are dissolved, the idolatry of the popular interim government will be undermined.
Human chains were also formed in Jamalpur, Tangail and different other districts demanding that the local elected government representative should not be removed.
The UP chairmen and members under the banner ‘Bangladesh Union Parishad Association’ formed a human chain in Khagrachhari.
According to the local government ministry, a total of 1,416 UP chairmen remain absent from their offices, which is one-third of the total Union Parishads (UPs) across the country. Many chairmen face murder cases and fear arrest, while many others avoid going to the office fearing attack.
There are about 4,600 Union Parishads across the country. There is concern in the local government ministry about where such a large of officials will come from and whether they can work properly.
Local government experts said that it will be more effective to run the Union Parishads (UPs), where chairman remain absent, with panel chairmen. They said that it not right time to appoint administrators at UPs.
Tofail Ahmed, a local government expert, said that the government at first can service a notice to UP chairmen who are absent and set a deadline to join the office. The seat of any chairman who will not follow the order, will be declared vacant. Then a UP member can be appointed as chairman or a local person having credibility can be made a chairman. He put emphasis on appointing panel chairmen.
Many UP chairmen went into hiding after August 5. Some of them face murder, some fear arrest, some are in hiding to escape from attacks. According to the ministry sources, local administrators have appointed panel chairmen in 786 union parishads and administrators at several union parishads.
The chairmen of three out of 43 UPs in Feni are joining their offices. One of the three chairmen is from BNP at Sonagazi upazila and the remaining two are from Awami League at Daganbhuiyan upazila while upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) or assistant commissioner (land) were appointed as administrators in the remaining 43 Union Parishads
Bangladesh Union Parishad Association said that the dissolution of the Union Parishad or the removal of chairmen would severely disrupt public services at the field level, while chairmen said their removal would deteriorate the law and order situation in rural areas; and theft and robbery would rise.
Md Lukman Uddin, chairman of No. 7 Dakshin Banigram Union Parishad at Kanaighat upazila in Sylhet; told the Bangladesh Post that they want to end their tenure. Removal of chairmen will stall services at the local level.
According to the Local Government Division (LGD), UP chairmen remain directly involved in various services including the distribution of old age allowance, disabled allowance and maternity allowance. UP offices also provide various important services including inheritance certificates, birth certificates, and death registration, as well as hold arbitration, and construct, repair and maintain roads.
The issue of removal of the public representatives was raised for some reasons. Many are aggrieved with the past local government elections which was held during Awami League regime. They is pressure from the BNP and some other political parties on removing the chairmen and members. On other hand, nearly 1,500 UP chairmen are absent in their offices.
Against this backdrop, the authorities concerned are thinking about removing all the chairmen and members to normalise the activities there.
Sources of the local government ministry said that as many as 54,960 administrators have to be appointed in place of 12 UP members in 4,580 union parishads across the country. The teachers of primary and high schools or government officials at the district and upazila levels could be given charge.
However, it would be tough to run the operations of the union parishads for long this way since they have their own tasks. Actually, nothing fruitful would happen here. It would be better to run the activities with the panel chairman.
Earlier, the interim government removed all the chairman of zilla and upazila parishads and mayors of all the municipalities in August. Some 12 city corporation mayors, councillors and municipal councillors also have been removed.
