Shafiqul Islam (Shafiq)
The Cabinet has given final approval to the draft Local Government (Municipality) (Amendment) Act, 2021. In the draft law, provision has been made to cancel the municipality if the salary-allowance is outstanding for one year in a row. The law was approved in the cabinet meeting on Monday. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She joined the meeting from Ganobhaban through video conference. Ministers and state ministers from the Cabinet Division of the Secretariat took part in the meeting.
After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam told reporters at a briefing at the secretariat that the municipality could be canceled if the salaries and allowances of the officers and employees of a municipality were outstanding for 12 months without a valid reason. At present 80 percent of the municipality is able to pay salaries and allowances. The problem is much less now.
He said the draft law provides for the appointment of an administrator in the municipality if the mayor is not elected at the end of his five-year term. Elections must be held within six months of the appointment of the administrator in the municipality. He also said that the name of the ‘secretary’ of the municipality has been changed to ‘municipal executive officer’.
Khandaker Anwarul Islam said there was a flaw in the 2009 municipal law. No one noticed it. The term of the elected municipality was five years. There was a provision that even after five years, the mayor would continue until the next municipal election. It has been seen that in many places, after five years, mayors are holding office for 12 to 16 years on various issues.
He said that since nothing was clear in the law, nothing could be done. Dohar seems to have been mayor for 15 years. Nothing could be done. The High Court also ruled in their favor. It has been being discussed in the cabinet for some time now. The Prime Minister had given instructions more than once before. Today, that provision has been amended in the law. When the five years are over, the mayor and his council will be disbanded.
The cabinet secretary said that in that case (after cancellation) if the government deems an officer with administrative experience eligible, it can appoint an administrator for six months. The election must be completed within six months.
This provision was not in the municipal law. It is now clear that no one (mayor and councilor) can stay in the municipality for more than five years. He said that earlier there was a requirement of one and a half thousand people per kilometer to form a municipality, adding that the number has been increased to two thousand. This will increase tax collection, work will be more.
