Published: 09 June 2024
The Upazila Parishad represents one of the most vital tiers in Bangladesh’s local governance structure. The Constitution of Bangladesh recognizes local government as a representative institution and a key means of ensuring public participation at the grassroots level to establish a strong democratic system. 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 further empowers local government institutions with the authority to impose taxes for local needs, prepare budgets, and maintain their own funds.
According to Section 15(3)(e) of the Upazila Parishad Election Rules 2013, any person contesting in this election must submit a sworn affidavit containing several declarations. These include educational qualifications, profession and sources of income, details of any lawsuits, and income, expenditure, assets, and liabilities of the candidate and their dependents. The affidavit serves as the primary document for assessing a candidate’s eligibility and background. Therefore, this information is crucial for making informed comparisons among candidates and selecting the right representative. It also allows for transparency and accountability at the local level by enabling public access to candidates’ income and asset disclosures. Although the Election Commission publishes these affidavits, they have yet to be fully leveraged to ensure accountability regarding asset accumulation and income growth of elected representatives. Furthermore, there remains limited capacity and effort to make this information accessible and usable for local citizens.
In this context, this initiative aims to make affidavit data more accessible and analyzable on a broader scale. To promote voter awareness and accountability in local government elections, just as in national elections, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has developed a Know Your Candidate (KYC) database based on affidavit information.
Click below for details.
