Local Government Reform Commission releases preliminary report

The interim government has released a report containing the preliminary recommendations of the Local Government Reform Commission, which was formed in the second phase of investigations into state reforms.

The report was released on Saturday through the press wing of the Chief Advisor’s Office.

The formation of the Local Government Reform Commission was announced through a notice by the Cabinet Division on Nov 18, 2024. The eight-member commission, headed by Tofail Ahmed, was formed to "recommend necessary reform proposals to strengthen local government and make it more effective."

The preface to the preliminary report mentions that immediately after the formation of the commission, AMM Nasir Uddin was appointed as the Chief Election Commissioner. Later, Ilira Dewan and Dr Kazi Maruful Islam were co-opted.

The commission started work in mid-December 2024, identifying 15 areas of interest and outlining the structure of the report. Due to delays, more time is needed to finalise the full report. Meanwhile, the government has formed a "National Consensus Commission" to conduct discussions on reforms. To facilitate the discussions, the commission has decided to present its initial recommendations to the government and the National Consensus Commission.

After the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5, 2024, the interim government formed commissions in October to recommend reforms for six sectors of the state in an initial phase as part of a number of initiatives paving the way for the country’s democratic transition.

The initial reports from the constitution, electoral system, police reform and Anti-Corruption Commission reform commissions was submitted to the chief advisor on Jan 15. The reports of the public administration and judiciary reform commissions were handed over to the head of the interim government on Feb 5.

The reports of four of the five reform commissions - media, health, labour, and women's affairs - formed in the second phase in November have yet to be submitted.