Dhaka: Former adviser of the caretaker government Hafiz Uddin Khan said the local government ministry is “too much political” as it is evident that its activities reflect the thoughts and actions of the ruling party.

Khan made the observations while speaking at a seminar dubbed ‘City administration and development of private sector in Bangladesh’ organized by the International Business Forum of Bangladesh at its Banani office Wednesday.

He was adviser in charge of the ministries of finance, planning, jute and textiles during the reign of the 2001 caretaker government.

He resented that it has become a practice that the government makes the ruling party’s general secretary local government minister who “implements mostly the party agenda”.

Khan, now the chairman of the trustee board of the Bangladesh chapter of the Berlin-based anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International, pointed out that CCC election is going to be held after a long time.

But Dhaka City Corporation election is also long overdue. “Nobody knows when the DCC polls will be held although eight years have already gone by,” said the campaigner against wrongdoing.

The speakers at the seminar suggested giving full autonomy to the City Corporations and making the local bodies financially self-reliant.

BDST: 1755 hrs June 9, 2010
SR/RS/EH/MUA