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Public Participation in local level decision making in Bangladesh: A study of the role of ward-sabha

Corresponding Author : Muhammad Mustofa Kamal (mustofa-pad@sust.edu)

Authors : Muhammad Mustofa Kamal (mustofa-pad@sust.edu)

Keywords : Public participation, decision-making, ward sabha, monthly income, citizen's capacity

Abstract :

A society's democratic values can be upheld through mass population’s participation in local governance's decision-making process. Ward sabha is a platform for ensuring public participation in the decision-making process at the grassroots level of local government bodies in Bangladesh. This study attempts to explore the extent of public participation in local governance through ward sabha. Therefore, a sample survey was conducted to collect primary data from respondents (n=180) following both quantitative and qualitative approaches. This study found that people want to participate in ward sabha though many barriers exist which impede effective participation. These include elected representatives’ reluctance, lack of citizen’s capacity, political involvement with opposition parties and so on. Furthermore, a citizen’s level of income plays a significant role in participating in ward sabha, in which the participation level decreases as the individuals' monthly income increases or decreases compared to this study's lower-middle-income group of people. Therefore, necessary action should be taken by the authority to overcome the above mentioned shortcomings and make the ward sabha an effective platform for local level participation in decision-making of local governance in Bangladesh. 

Published on December 31st, 2021 in Volume 32, Issue 2, Social Sciences