The Development of the Urban Government System in Bangladesh: Does Coordination Exist?

Abstract

This paper is intended to shed some light on the development of urban governance in Bangladesh by highlighting the issue of coordination. It addresses the question of whether there is any mechanism through which urban government bodies can ensure coordination on matters of dispute between different government organisations. The paper is based on a review of secondary literature as well as on primary data drawn from a case study on a city corporation. The available data substantiates the view that the process of urban service delivery in Bangladesh has lacked proper coordination mechanisms from its very inception. Successive governments since the independence of Bangladesh have experimented with the structural design of urban government bodies without considering the need for a proper mechanism to ensure sound coordination among actors involved in implementing the various policies of these bodies. Although an attempt was made by the then Awami League 1 (1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001) government to establish a highpowered coordination committee under the chairmanship of the minister in charge of the Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD&C) Ministry for each city corporation, in order to ensure better management of services and to settle disputes between various government agencies, the initiative was perverted upon the change of state power in 2001. As a result, these bodies continue to suffer from problems of coordination.

Urban Poverty in Bangladesh: Causes, Consequences and Coping Strategies

“…Bangladesh's inefficient two-tier system of urban governance creates significant problems, not only in urban planning and policy generally, 92 but also in 92 The urban governance structure of Bangladesh has yet to sufficiently develop to address the rise of urban poverty (Panday and Panday 2008), reducing the ability of municipal governments to develop meaningful partnerships with diverse actors concerning low-income settlements . Until now, urban planning and policies have been fragmented in Bangladesh, with core thinking about planning, municipal governance and finance, urban poverty and migration taking place independently, rather than under a holistic framework (Rahman 2011b).…”

“…This has led one proponent of a stronger focus on urban poverty to highlight that all governments since Liberation have been 'anti-urban poor', acting in contradiction to their stated policies (Islam et al 1997). 95 With over 40 government agencies, authorities and service providers within Dhaka city alone, coordination across the multiple local authorities and service providers remains one of the biggest obstacles to improved service delivery (World Bank 2007;Panday 2007;Panday and Panday 2008;Ahmed 2012). 96 This was raised in response to a conference paper presented at the 'Forty years of Bangladesh' conference in Dhaka, November 2011(See Banks 2011b.…”

From blueprint master plans to democratic planning in South Asian cities: Pursuing good governance agenda against prevalent patron–client networks

“…Municipalities were established around the industry and ports to serve basic functions. It was not until 1932 that the British introduced the Bengal Municipal Act in order to render better urban services, which was the first piece of legislation regarding urban government in the region (Chaudhury, 2010;Panday, 2008). This legal framework strengthened the powers of municipalities in levying rates and taxes and in the utilization of development funds (Siddique, 1994).…”

Community and Institutional Responses to the Challenges Facing Poor Urban People in Khulna, Bangladesh in an Era of Climate Change

“…This probably explains why the pay-for-service scheme in Supraghat failed. People also complained 14 The public institutional framework of urban governance for municipal corporations such as Khulna is classified under four broad headings (Panday and Panday, 2008) 15 This includes construction of roads (wider than 1.5 metres), bridges and culverts; the removal, collection and disposal of refuse and waste; the provision of water supply (prior to establishment of KWASA); the provision and maintenance of street lighting; the registration of births, marriages and deaths; the eradication of mosquitoes; the issue of different kinds of certificates; the provision and maintenance of public parks; and dispute resolution (personal communication with Ward 22 councilor). 16 This has been possible mainly because the KBCA that owns part of the settlement has kept up to date with their land records through paying regular tax (source: personal communication with the KBCA chairman).…”

“…3 These figures need to be treated as indicative and with caution, as exactly what will happen in future is very unclear. They nonetheless pose a difficult challenge for policy makers, as the urban governance structure of Bangladesh has not been sufficiently developed to address the rise of urban poverty (Panday and Panday, 2008). In effect, the absence of governance capability has reduced the municipal government's ability to develop a meaningful partnership with diverse actors concerning low-income settlements.…”