Gram Sarkar won't bring any good: Opposition
Staff Correspondent
The main opposition party Awami League (AL) and some smaller ones have called upon the government to give up its move to start formation of 'nominated' Gram Sarkar today, saying the new system will destroy the 'elected' Union Parishad (UP) and lead to conflicts in the rural areas.Castigating the government move, they said Gram Sarkar will not bring any good, rather it will be an extension of the BNP-led ruling alliance to village level. The 'nominated' bodies will also politicise local administration, they thought. General Secretary of the AL Abdul Jalil MP told The Daily Star yesterday the government is going to form 'nominated' Gram Sarkar with an ulterior political motive. In the name of this local government body, the ruling alliance wants to use the local administrations to serve its interests, he said. "Elected Union Parishad and nominated Gram Sarkar will certainly be in conflict with each other," Jalil said. This will add to the unrest, hampering development work in the rural areas, he added. Golam Mohammad Kader MP, presidium member of Jatiya Party (Ershad), said Gram Sarkar will destroy the basic structure of local government. "The ruling alliance activists will be nominated to this body. They will get legal powers to collect toll," he said. Thus a chaotic situation will be created in the villages, he added. Mujahidul Islam Selim, general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, said, " We can term Gram Sarkar an extension of the local government ministry." The way it is going to be formed will not bring any good to the rural masses, he said. Hasanul Haq Inu, president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, thought Gram Sarkar will be another wing of the ruling BNP. Upazila nirbahi officers are being involved in grouping in the name of this local body, he alleged. " The government must not go for the formation of Gram Sarker if it wants a peaceful atmosphere in the rural areas," Inu said. Hayder Akber Khan Rano, central committee member of Workers Party, said Gram Sarkar is going to be constituted in an improper way and this will politicise local administration. Sadek Siddiqui, acting secretary general of Jatiya Party (Anwar Hossain) said as Gram Sarker will be nominated, ruling alliance activists will get the opportunity to be members of this body. "I think its result will not be good," he said.
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