Skip to main content

Decentralization in Local Government Empowerment of Bangladesh

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance

Synonyms

Decentralization in Bangladesh; Decentralized governance in Bangladesh; Decentralized local governance; Local governance in Bangladesh

Definition

Decentralization refers to a process of transferring authority and responsibility from the central/national government to the local government so that local entities can make effective decisions suitable for local needs.

Introduction

Decentralization has become a buzzword and a much-debated policy issue in the academia and development parlance for the last few decades. It was put forward by the Western scholars and development agencies (World Bank, United Nations) as a means by which the transitional economies could overcome the ills of centralization which were haunting them since their independence. The theoretical rationale for the adoption of decentralization is that the transfer or devolution of authority and resources from central government (hereinafter referred to as CG) to local government (hereinafter referred to as LG)...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adamolekum L (1999) Public administration in Africa. Westview Press, Boulder

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahmed N, Boex J, Monem M, Panday PK (2014) Policy study on the local government system in Bangladesh: a comparative analysis of perspectives and practices, Local Government Division, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh (GOB), Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • Aminuzzaman SM, Monem M, Arfina FA, Shuaib M, Khondoker BH, Eusuf MA, Ahsan AHM, Khan RU (2015) Impact assessment of Upazila Parishad Governance Project [UZGP] & Union Parishad Governance Project [UPGP]. UNDP, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • Aminuzzman SM (2013) Governance at grassroots–rhetoric and reality: a study of the union Parishad in Bangladesh. In: Jamil I, Askvik S, Dhakal TN (eds) In search of better governance in South Asia and beyond. New York, Springer, pp 201–221

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Awortwi N (2010) The past, present, and future of decentralization in Africa: a comparative case study of local government development trajectories of Ghana and Uganda. Int J Public Adm 33(12-13):620–634

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balagun MJ (2000) The scope for popular participation in decentralization, community governance and development: towards a new paradigm of center-periphery relations. Reg Dev Dialogue 21(1):153–173

    Google Scholar 

  • Bardhan P, Mookherjee D (eds) (2006) Decentralization and local governance in developing countries: A comparative perspective. MIT press, Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhuian MN (2014) Reviewing of local government laws in Bangladesh: towards prospect of a local government uniform framework legislation. Local Government Division, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh (GOB), Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • Blair H (2000) Participation and accountability at the periphery: democratic local governance in six countries. World Dev 28:21–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crook RC (2003) Decentralization and poverty reduction in Africa: the politics of local-central relations. Public Adm Dev 23:77–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Vries MS (2000) The rise and fall of decentralization: a comparative analysis of arguments and practices in European countries. Eur J Polit Res 38(2):193–224

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehsan SMA (2018) An analysis of local government Laws in Bangladesh: in quest for unravelling existing anomalies. Soc Change 12(3):1–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehsan SMA (2020) The Local Government System in Bangladesh: An Anatomy of Perspectives & Practices. South Asian Journal of Policy and Governance 44(2):1–22. Retrieved from http://sjpgjournal.org/index.php/sjpg/article/view/29

  • Faguet JP (2018) Transformation from below in Bangladesh: decentralization, local governance, and systemic change. Mod Asian Stud 51(6):1668–1694

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Falleti TG (2005) A sequential theory of decentralization: Latin American cases in comparative perspective. Am Polit Sci Rev 99(3):327–346

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fan CS, Lin C, Treisman D (2009) Political decentralization and corruption: evidence from around the world. J Public Econ 93:14–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Francis P, James R (2003) Balancing rural poverty reduction and citizen participation: the contradictions of Uganda’s decentralization program’. World Dev 31(2):325–337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huque A, Panday P (2018) Local government institutions and governance in Bangladesh. South Asia J (Special Issue):127–131

    Google Scholar 

  • Hussain MS (2014) Security in elections. In: The daily star. Retrieved from http://www.thedailystar.net/security-in-elections-17970

    Google Scholar 

  • Islam M (2018) Cooperation or interference: MP's role in local government. In: The daily star. Retrieved from https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/news/cooperation-or-interference-mps-role-local-government-1671871

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan NA (2016) Challenges and trends in decentralized local governance in Bangladesh. Institute of South Asian Studies Working Paper 222:1–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Majumder BA (2014) First round of Upazila elections: an appraisal. In: The daily star. Retrieved from http://www.thedailystar.net/first-round-of-upazila-elections-an-appraisal-12269

    Google Scholar 

  • Manor J (1999) The political economy of democratic decentralization. The World Bank, Washington, D.C.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Oyugi WO (2000) Decentralization for good governance and development: the unending debate. Reg Dev Dialogue 21(1):3–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Panday PK (2011) Local government in Bangladesh. Lex-Localis J Local Self-Gov 9(3):205–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker A (1995) Decentralization: the way forward for rural development? Policy research working paper 1475. World Bank, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Prud’homme R (1995) The dangers of decentralization. World Bank Res Obs 10(2):201–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman MH (1994) Decentralization and rural Society in Bangladesh: a study on the bureaucratic constraints on success in the Upazila structure. Ph.D Thesis. University of Wales, Swansea

    Google Scholar 

  • Rees CJ, Hossain F (2010) Perspectives on decentralization and local governance in developing and transitional countries. Int J Public Adm 33(12-13):581–587

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rondinelli D (1981) Government decentralization in comparative perspective: theory and practice in developing countries. Int Rev Adm Sci 47(2):133–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rondinelli DA, Nellis JR (1986) Assessing decentralization policies in developing countries: the case for cautious optimism. Dev Policy Rev 4:3–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rowland AM (2001) Population as a determinant of local outcomes under decentralization: illustrations from small municipalities in Bolivia and Mexico. World Dev 29:1373–1389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Samoff J (1990) Decentralization: the politics of interventionism. Dev Chang 21:513–530

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarker AE (1990) State intervention in rural development: a case study of Bangladesh. Ph.D Thesis, University of Liverpool, Liverpool

    Google Scholar 

  • Siddique K (2005) Local government in Bangladesh, 3rd edn. University Press Limited, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • Siddiquee NA (1997) Decentralization and development: theory and practice in Bangladesh. University of Dhaka, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • UNDP (2009) Local governance and decentralization. Retrieved from http://www.europeandcis.undp.org/governance/lgdc. Accessed 2 Jan 2021

  • Wibbels E (2004) Decentralization, democracy, and market reform: on the difficulties of killing two birds with one stone. In: Montero AP, Samuels DJ (eds) Decentralization and democracy in Latin America. University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, pp 203–234

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Ehsan, S.M.A. (2021). Decentralization in Local Government Empowerment of Bangladesh. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_4323-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_4323-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31816-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31816-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Economics and FinanceReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics