Welcome to Zila Parishad, Nilphamari

Zila Parishad,

The Zilla Parishad structure was established when the British government was in power in the country. The British government passed the Bengal Chowkidari Act in 1870 and later the Bengal Local Self-Government Act in 1885. Under the said Act, District Boards are formed at the district level with powers on Roads, Bridges, Health, Charitable Hospitals, Drinking and Water System, Primary Education etc. Half of the members of the District Board are representatives of various departments of the Government and half of the members are elected from among the existing UP Chairman/Members and Municipal Chairman/Members. The District Board is constituted with the District Commissioner as ex-officio Chairman.

During the Pakistan era, the Basic Democracy Order, 1959 was issued and a four-tiered local government structure was formed in this country. Local government in Bangladesh The Bangladesh polity has been subjected to tremendous stresses ever since its independence in December 1971. Its governmental outlook underwent several changes at every change of regime, and the system of local government also underwent similar changes.

President's Order 7 issued in 1972 by the awami league government headed by Bangabandhu sheikh mujibur rahman dissolved all the existing local government bodies. The government appointed certain committees for performing the functions of these defunct bodies. Moreover, the names of the Union Council and District Council were changed to Union Panchayet (later renamed Union Parishad) and Zila Board (later renamed District Parishad), respectively. However, no such committees were appointed in the thana and division level. The Constitution of 1972 included specific provisions relating to the basic structure and functions of local bodies. Article 9 provided for the formation of local bodies at every administrative units to be composed of elected representatives of the areas concerned.

In 1973, elections to the Union Parishads (UP) constituted under a newly issued Presidential order (President's Order No. 22) were held. This Order specified that a union comprising several villages was to be divided into three wards, and each ward was to elect three UP members, i.e. 9 members in all in a union. Moreover, the Order also provided for the posts of chairman and vice chairman to be elected by all the voters within a union, including detailed provisions as regards the term of office, qualifications, responsibilities, removal of the UP chairman/vice-chairman and members. The Sub-divisional Officer and Deputy Commissioner were the ex-officio chairman of the concerned Thana Council and District Council respectively.

Under the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution in 1975, major changes in the Constitution were made and the provisions relating to the local bodies were scrapped. Provisions were made for the formation of certain types of local bodies, mostly non-elective. After the assassination of President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the fall of Awami League government (August 1975) the development process relating to local government suffered a temporary setback.

In 1976, the Local Government Ordinance (LGO) issued by the government of General ziaur rahman made provisions for the formation of three types of rural local government, Union Parishad, Thana Parishad and Zila Parishad. The composition and functions of the Union Parishad remained much the same as in Presidential Order 22 of 1973, except for the abolition of the post of vice chairman and the inclusion of two additional types of union parisad members, ie, two woman members and two peasant members to be nominated by the government. Its term was fixed at five years. The LGO also prescribed detailed provisions as regards the qualifications and removal procedures of the UP chairman/members as well as how the UP proceedings were to be conducted. But the government retained much controlling power over the UPs in that its prescribed authority, ie SDOs in the case of UPs, could veto any of UPs' decisions. The UP was entrusted with forty functions. The main functions included public welfare, maintenance of law and order, revenue collection, development and adjudication. Its sources of revenue remained almost similar to those of the BDO of 1959, ie the government grants, taxes, rates, fees, etc.

The membership of each Thana Parishad comprised all thana-based elected UP chairmen as well as the thana level official members specified by the government. The SDO was to act as its chairman and the Circle Officer as vice chairman. The former used to exercise enormous executive powers over its overall functioning. No mention was however made in the LGO (1976) as regards the term of office, qualifications, removal procedure, leave of absence of the chairman/vice-chairman. The primary function of the Thana Parishad was to coordinate all development activities of the Union Parishads within its jurisdiction, including assistance to the preparation of a Thana Development Plan on the basis of programmes received from the thana-based UPs.

The Zila Parishad was to consist of elected, official and women-members, including a chairman and a vice-chairman to be elected by them from amongst themselves. The elected members were to be elected by direct election on the basis of adult franchise. The women members were to be nominated by the government from among the women of the concerned district. Its term of office was fixed at five years.

In 1982, the military government headed by General hussain m ershad constituted a ten-member committee for administrative reorganisation. Based on the committee's recommendations the government undertook major steps to reorganise the existing local bodies at thana level in particular. On 23 December 1982 the Local Government (Thana Parishad and Thana Administration Reorganisation) Ordinance was promulgated to introduce major changes with respect to the system of local government at the thana level. Under the reorganised set-up, thana was designated as the focal point of administration. Responsibility for all development activities at the local level was transferred to the Thana Parishad. The national government retained direct responsibility for regulatory functions and major development activities of national and regional importance. In 1983, the Local Government Ordinance of 1982 was amended to redesignate and upgrade the existing thanas as upazilas (sub-districts). Subsequently, one additional Ordinance and five Acts were passed for reorganising other rural local bodies, such as Union Parishad, Zila Parishad, Hill District Local Government Parishad and Palli Parishad.