Published: 06 May 2024
One of the most important tiers of the local government system in Bangladesh is the Upazila Parishad. The Constitution of Bangladesh recognizes local government as a representative institution and an important means of ensuring public participation for the firm establishment of democratic practices at the grassroots level. There are four articles in the Constitution (Articles 9, 11, 59, and 60) relating to local government. These articles provide a clear explanation of the role and effectiveness of local government. Specifically, Article 59(1) states, “Local government in every administrative unit of the Republic shall be entrusted to bodies composed of persons elected in accordance with law.” Article 60 stipulates that “Local government bodies shall be given the power to impose taxes for local purposes, prepare budgets, and maintain their own funds.”
According to Rule 15(3)(e) of the Upazila Parishad Election Rules 2013, any person intending to contest in the election must submit a number of declarations in the form of an affidavit. These include information on educational qualifications, profession and sources of income, details of any legal cases, and statements of income-expenditure, assets, and liabilities of the candidate and their dependents. This affidavit serves as the primary document regarding the qualifications and disqualifications of candidates. Therefore, it plays a vital role in enabling comparative analysis among candidates to select the most suitable one. Additionally, it facilitates accountability and transparency by making available the income and asset information of elected representatives at the local level. Although the Election Commission publishes the affidavits, they have not yet led to full accountability concerning the income and asset accumulation of public representatives. Moreover, such information is rarely accessible or user-friendly for the general public at the local level.
Against this backdrop, this initiative has been taken to make all affidavit data more accessible and analytically usable on a larger scale. Similar to national elections, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has developed a Know Your Candidate (KYC) database based on affidavits to enhance voter awareness and ensure accountability in local government elections.
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