Reforms are essential for meaningful progress in both national and local governance, said Professor Tofail Ahmed, Chair of the Local Government Reform Commission, at a press briefing this evening.
He made the remarks at the Foreign Service Academy after the Commission submitted its final report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna.
“Without structural reforms, neither national nor local governments can deliver real results,” Professor Tofail said.
He highlighted the inefficiencies in the current election system for local government bodies, including union parishads, upazila parishads, zila parishads, municipalities, and city corporations.
According to him, elections to these institutions currently take around 225 days and cost approximately Tk2,300 crore. However, by introducing a coordinated 40-day election schedule, the timeline could be significantly shortened, and costs could be reduced to about Tk700 crore.
Earlier in the day, the Commission, led by Professor Tofail Ahmed, formally handed over its report to the Chief Adviser, outlining a roadmap for local government reform aimed at improving efficiency, accountability, and public service delivery.
