Most of the laws related to local government are inconsistent with the constitution and curb the power of the democratic institutions at the grassroots level, and thereby breaking its backbone, they said.

The views came at a roundtable on 'Our role in forming an effective Union Parishad' organised by Swashashito Union Parishad (UP) Advocacy Group-Bangladesh at the National Press Club in the city yesterday.

"The local government is actually held hostage to the national government and bureaucracy. The local government structure has actually been transformed into the extended form of the national government and administration," said General Secretary of the advocacy group Matiur Rahman Tapan.

The local government is fully dependent on the MPs and ministers, he said, adding that even its representatives have also been threatened of being ousted from their elected posts, which is totally humiliating.

On the other hand, the national government compromises with the bureaucracy and butter it up for clinging to power, but shows no interest for decentralising and empowering the local government, Matiur Rahman said in his presentation.

The government has downsized the UP's sources of income transferring those to the upazila and district administrations, he said, suggesting providing one-third of the budgetary allocation directly to the UPs and formation of an independent finance commission.

The advocacy group Chairman Abul Hossain Khan said the Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) treat with the UP chairmen just as the feudalists did to people.

"Now when there is no political government in power, the UNOs are controlling us with an iron hand. The upazila coordination committee meeting decides one, but the executive orders are made different," he regretted.

Sazzad Hossain Mukul, UP Chairman of Chilmari in Rajshahi, said that if the control of bureaucracy over the UP chairmen remains the same, the UP system will cease functioning within the next two years.

"They (bureaucrats) now are threatening the UP chairmen of joint forces," he said.

Demanding upazila parishad and district parishad elections, Shushashoner Jonney Nagorik (Shujon) Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumder said the controlling power of the bureaucrats over the elected representatives is humiliating.

Financial and budget making freedom of the local government is a must for strengthening the local government, he said, adding that without the participation of people at the local government system, no true democracy could be established.

Awami League leader Dr Abdur Razzak said the bureaucrats' power of dissolving the post of a UP chairman is unacceptable. "I do not know if there is a crueler act than this."

When the power lies more in the central government, the MPs can help the local government in policy making, but the local government will have to implement those, he said, adding that decentralisation of power, however, should be made by changing laws.

Jatiya Party leader GM Quader said there is technically no local government in Bangladesh, as the bureaucrats control the system.

It is not right to blame the MPs for intervention in the local government, rather the bureaucrats systematically control them, GM Quader said demanding amendments to the laws to loosen the bureaucrats' control over the local government.

Dr Zafarullah Chowdhury of Gono Shasthya Kendra suggested putting the primary education under the local government and involving more women in the judiciary at local level.

Columnist Syed Abul Maksud, former minister Golam Sarwar Milon and Prof Asaduzzaman also spoke.