Role of Ward Councilors in Decision-Making Process of Urban Local Government Bodies: A Study on Sylhet City Corporation

Abstract

<p><em>Local government as the training ground for nurturing democratic culture plays an important role in the development of a country. </em><em>Bangladesh has been experiencing rapid urbanization which leads to enhance the importance of urban local government day by day. City Corporation, which is one of the most important tiers of urban local government, has therefore assumed considerable importance for </em><em>the development of the urban area of Bangladesh. And, in order to ensure the development of City Corporation, effective decision making is imperative. </em><em>The study focuses the role of councilors in decision making process of City Corporation. Effective participation of councilors in decision making process is inevitable for strengthening urban local government bodies of Bangladesh. The study was conducted on the basis of empirical data gathered from Sylhet City Corporation (SCC), one of the largest cities in north-eastern Bangladesh. In this study, by using social survey method and applying structured interview schedule (open and close ended questions) data was collected from elected representatives (Mayor and Councilors), officials who participated in decision making process of SCC and from mass people using representative sampling method (n=120). The findings revealed that t</em><em>hough the decisions are taken collectively at City Corporation&rsquo;s meeting, the actual scenario is completely different. Here, the supreme decision-maker is mayor who is able to handle the matter using his own convincing capacity and creates such environment in SCC meeting that no councilors can alienate his proposal. So, in practice, though mayor and councilors of SCC participate in decision making process, the mayor plays the dominant role. The study found the existence of patron-client relationships between mayor and some councilors in decision making process of SCC. Due to this relationship, some close associates (councilors) of mayor got privileges in decision making process. In addition, women councilors from reserved seats also cannot play effective role due to the existence of patriarchic culture in Bangladesh. Moreover, the respondents viewed that if councilors could play effective role in decision making process, the decisions of SCC would have been more collective in pattern.</em><em></em></p>

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