Experts and economists on Thursday emphasised that Bangladesh’s sustainable development hinges on comprehensive political reform and the empowerment of local governments.

They stressed that politics must function as a public service rather than a business to attract individuals with integrity and ensure that reforms are effectively implemented.

The speakers highlighted the principle of subsidiarity, arguing that problems should be addressed at the level closest to where they arise.

They underscored the need for a clear design of decentralisation, including defined tiers of local government, avoidance of overlapping jurisdictions, robust performance monitoring, and transparency.

Fiscal and administrative authority should be devolved to local governments to enable accountability, while better coordination with central government initiatives is essential to reduce wastage and improve public service delivery.

Drawing lessons from East Asia, the experts noted that empowered local governments can stimulate competition, promote reform experimentation, and foster effective urban development.

The remarks were made at a seminar titled ‘Can Bangladesh Develop Without Decentralising? – Some Lessons from East Asia and Thoughts on the Local Government Reform and Other Commissions’ Reports,’ organised by the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI).

The event brought together policymakers, economists, and governance experts to discuss decentralisation strategies and reflect on proposals from the Local Government Reform Commission.

National Consensus Commission member Badiul Alam Majumdar said that genuine progress in Bangladesh depended on politics functioning as a public service rather than operating as a business.

He called for comprehensive political reform and the strengthening of local governance as essential steps for sustainable development.

Majumdar warned that without such a shift, individuals with integrity would be reluctant to enter politics, leaving reforms largely on paper.

He also reiterated the principle of subsidiarity, emphasising that local problems should be addressed at the local level, and highlighted that empowered local governments were crucial for responsive governance and improved public services.

PRI director Ahmad Ahsan, in his keynote presentation, observed that Bangladesh was de facto one of the most centralised countries in the world for its size, making sustainable development under such a structure a significant challenge.

He said that, despite notable progress in economic and human development, weak local governments and the lack of local-level accountability were causing a decline in public services across education, health, water, sanitation, and infrastructure in both urban and rural areas.

Ahsan stressed that enhancing these services and developing well-functioning cities required accountable local governments.

Drawing on lessons from East Asia, he underlined the importance of a clear decentralisation design, performance monitoring, and defined tiers of local government, and suggested that the 64 districts, together with towns and cities, should act as primary hubs for decentralisation due to their technical capacity, proximity to the population, and ease of coordination.

Ahsan also endorsed many proposals of the Local Government Reform Commission, particularly support for well-functioning Zila Porishods, but cautioned that indirect elections for district and upazila chairpersons, overlapping ward structures, and parallel operation of central officials could weaken accountability and fragment local government services.

He highlighted the need for detailed work on fiscal and administrative decentralisation, financial management, and monitoring systems.

Policy Exchange of Bangladesh chairman and CEO M Masrur Reaz warned that economic activities were overly concentrated in Dhaka and Chattogram, which was causing severe congestion and an estimated annual economic loss of $ 4 billion.

He emphasised the need to integrate local governments with central initiatives in order to improve service delivery and reduce inefficiency.

The seminar concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session, followed by closing remarks from PRI executive director Khurshid Alam.