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Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has called for the immediate implementation of the Local Government Reform Commission’s recommendations, stressing that reforms must move swiftly “from paper to practice.”
The call came as the Commission formally submitted its final report to Prof Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna on Sunday. The report outlines a comprehensive set of reforms aimed at eliminating corruption and improving efficiency across local government institutions.
“Let us not delay,” Prof Yunus said. “These reforms must move from paper to practice without further procrastination.”
He affirmed the government’s commitment to transparency and public involvement, announcing that the full report will be made publicly accessible. “Citizens, experts, and stakeholders deserve to understand and engage with the reform agenda. In fact, I believe these reforms should be included in school curricula to foster civic awareness from an early age,” he added.
The report, the product of months of consultations, research, and field visits, was submitted by the eight-member Commission led by Professor Dr Tofail Ahmed. The Commission was formed in November last year to propose transformative changes in the local government system.
“Our recommendations focus first on structural reforms, and then present what we describe as ‘a single idea to implement a thousand others’ — a strategic framework designed for practical and scalable change,” said Dr Tofail Ahmed.
One of the key proposals involves giving the Local Government Division a supervisory role to ensure accountability and effective resource management.
The Commission has also highlighted systemic challenges in urban governance, particularly within the Dhaka City Corporation. “Inefficiencies, departmental overlaps, and widespread bribery plague everything from large-scale infrastructure projects to routine services,” Prof Ahmed noted. “Without tackling these deep-rooted problems, true governance reform will remain out of reach.”
The report also recommends revising the roles of local government officials. Dr Ahmed advocated for officially recognizing the part-time status of members and councillors — such as those in Union Parishads, Municipalities, Upazila Parishads, Zila Parishads, and City Corporations — a model successfully practiced in other countries.
The event was attended by all Commission members, including Prof Dr Ferdous Arfina Osman, Abdur Rahman, Dr Mahfuz Kabir, Mahshuda Khatun Shefali, Prof Dr Mohammad Tarikul Islam, Elira Dewan, Prof Dr Kazi Maruful Islam, AKM Tarikul Alam, Helena Parveen, and Mojbah Uddin Khan.
The government is expected to begin reviewing the report and translating its recommendations into actionable policies in the coming weeks.
