Local Government (Union Parishad)
(Amendment) Bill, 2024 was passed in the Parliament with a provision to
appoint administrators in Union Parishads on the expiry of five-year tenure
of the elected representatives.
Local Government Minister M Tajul Islam moved the Bill in the House, which
was passed by voice votes with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhdury in the
chair.
The bill stated that the government can appoint administrators in Union
Parishads after the expiry of tenure of the elected representatives. But the
appointment will be for one time and maximum 120 days.
If it is not possible to form elected council due to any natural calamity,
the government can extend the aforesaid period by another 60 days. In special
cases of epidemics the government can extend this period up to a reasonable
time.
With the proposed change, a UP chairman will no way get scope to stay in his
post after the expiry of tenure.
At present UP chairmen in some cases stay in charge on different excuses
despite the ex
piry of tenures. But this scope will not exist anymore.
The post of a UP secretary has been changed to ‘UP Administrative Officer’ in
the draft law.
As per the proposed law, the UP’s elected body will have to sit in its first
sitting within 10 days after taking oath.
In the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act, 2009, there was no timeframe
set for them to sit in their maiden sitting.
The first sitting is important as the five-year tenure starts following the
sitting.
The draft law said that if any chairman or any member acting as the chairman
or administrator failed to handover their charge within stipulated timeframe
then there will be a fine not more than Tk 50,000. In the existing law it is
Tk 10,000.
According to the proposed law, with a view to financially strengthen local
government institutions, identifying ways to reduce dependence on government
allocations and making the Union Parishad Act more up-to-date and service-
friendly, the ‘Local Government (Union Parishad) (Amendment) Act 2
024’ has
been amended.
It has been added that the chairman and members of the Union Parishad shall
receive the honorarium fixed by the government during the term of office.
Through this, there will be no legal complications regarding the payment of
allowances during the period of dismissal of any Union Parishad
Chairman/Members.
It is substituted that the Government shall appoint a competent officer or a
competent person as an administrator for the performance of functions after
the declaration of union of an area or the expiry of the term of the council.
The administrator shall perform all the duties of the union council until the
elected council is formed in accordance with the provisions of this proposed
law.
As a result, even after the expiry of the term of the Union Parishad, the
tendency to prevent/postpone the election by litigating various cases will be
controlled.
Jatiya Party lawmaker Hafij Uddin Ahmed of Thakurgaon-3 and Independent
candidates Pankaj Devnath of Barishal-4, Hamidul
Huq Khandoker of Kurigram-2,
Golam Sarwar of Barguna-2 and SM Brohani Sultan Mahmud of Naogaon-4 urged the
parliament for seeking public review before enactment of the law.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha