Dhaka: About 84 percent of the population supports the formation of an independent and strong Local Government Commission through the enactment of new legislation aimed at bolstering the local government system, a household survey revealed.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the survey highlighted that approximately 71 percent of participants believe that local government elections should not be conducted with political party symbols, whereas 24 percent are in favor of party symbols being used in local government polls. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) conducted this survey in January 2025 at the request of the Local Government Reform Commission, encompassing 46,080 households across rural and urban areas in 64 districts of the country.
The survey findings were disclosed in a report by the Local Government Reform Commission, which was submitted to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday. Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder conveyed the report’s submission to BSS today. The survey also revealed that about 97 percent of the populace suggest that candidates in local government elections should possess a minimum educational qualification. Of these respondents, 38 percent advocate for a Secondary School Certificate (SSC) as the minimum qualification, 30 percent support Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC), and 25 percent favor graduation as the requisite qualification.
Currently, there are five laws and over 100 notifications and government orders governing local government activities. Consequently, 77 percent of respondents believe that a single, unified law should be established for local government bodies. Furthermore, around 75 percent of the population recommended developing an integrated service structure for local government institutions to address manpower shortages.
In response to Bangladesh’s growing urbanization, approximately 85 percent of respondents advocated for the establishment of urban planner offices at the upazila level. Additionally, about 80 percent of participants suggested the setup of full civil and magistrate courts at the upazila level to enhance judicial services.