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Call
to strengthen local government bodies
BSS, Rajshahi
Discussants at
an exchange of views session in Rajshahi on Friday underscored the need
for strengthening the local government bodies to institutionalize
democracy for upholding the hopes and aspirations of the grassroots
people. They highlighted the positive role of grassroots people in the
local level governance system and said the local government institutions
should be transformed into the focal points of all uplift works
undertaken by the government. The Hunger Project, Bangladesh (HPB) in
collaboration with the Journalist Forum in Development of Local
Government (JFDLG) arranged the session titled "The Role of Mass-media
in the Development of Local Government System" at the conference hall of
Barendra Unnayan Forum. HPB country director Dr. Badiul Alam Mazumder
was the main discussant at the session with the local unit convenor of
JFDLG Hasan Millat in the chair.
Editor of Dainik Barta SMA Kader, Editor of Daily Sonaly Sangbad Liakat
Ali, Professor ANM Saleh of Psychology of Rajshahi University, Professor
Rojety Naznin of Rajshahi University College, local unit Coordinator of
BLAST Advocate Abdus Samad and Journalist Mustafizur Rahman Khan Alam,
among others, took part in the discussion.
In course of their discussion, the participants put maximum emphasis
upon increased economic growth through farm production by making the
best utilization of the merit and labour of the grassroots people. They
said the local government bodies can play a vital role in this regard.
Referring to various corruption and irregularities the participants
underlined the need on brining transparency and accountability in the
local government activities.
"If the voters become economically self-reliant in rural and urban
areas, elections at all tiers of governance will be free, fair and
neutral," they observed while calling for further intensifying
development activities at the grassroots level throughout the country.
The participants were unanimous in saying that good governance would be
established with increased socio-economic development if the local
government institutions, country's oldest system of governance, were
strengthened up to the expectation of all.
Around 50 newsmen, local elite and professionals took part in the
discussion. |