Structure of Local Government

Local government means the administration of the affairs of a fixed geographic region in both urban and rural areas by the people through their elected representatives. It refers to that administrative unit which is a popularly elected body charged with the administration and executive duties in matters concerning the inhabitants of the particular district or place and vested with powers to make bye laws for their guidance. The urban local government operates in towns and cities through Municipal Corporations, Municipal Committees, Cantonment Boards, Town and Notified Area Committees. The span of contribution of urban local government extends to the study of the phenomenon of urbanization and its problem, urban planning, structure of urban governments and their classification, municipal legislation, personnel management, financial administration, state local relations, special purpose agencies, organization and function of the union Ministry of urban Affairs and Employment and its subordinate and attached offices, as also that of the State departments of urban local government; Report of various commissions and committees appointed from time to time by the central and state governments to study the various aspects of the working of urban local governments and the recommendation made by them, municipal bureaucracy, role of political parties, research and evaluation and comparative urban local governments.

Structure of Local Government

Special Affairs Ministry		Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry
	Local Government in Special Areas	Rural Local Government	Urban Local Government
v  Raja/Circle Chief [Total Number: 3] v  Mouza Headmen / Karbari System [472]	v  Regional Council         [Total No.: 1] v  Hill District Council [3] v  Municipal Council [3] v  Upazila Council [21] v  Union Council [118] v  Village Council [1062]	v  District Council [Total No.: 64] v  Upazila (previously called Thana) Council [489] v  Union Council [4,552] v  Village Council	v  City Corporation [Total No.: 11] v  Municipalities

Local Government

Local Government refers to that administrative unit which is a political sub-division having authorization on a fixed geographical area and is constituted by law and has substantial influence on local affairs. Generally. The governing body of such entity is elected or locally selected. While serving a small area, the local government exercises only the delegated powers. While central government is focusing on the formulation of the policies, the next step that is policy implementation is totally vested upon the local government unit which reaches to the root level of the state. Within a fixed jurisdiction area, the local government bodies have to perform numerous activities which also extends for the welfare activities of the locality. The idea of local government is not a new concept in Bangladesh. Traditionally, Local Government (LG) in Bangladesh has limited jurisdiction over specific (and limited) developmental functions. The area of regulatory administration has always been kept aside from the purview of the role and functions of these bodies. Most of the developmental functions for which Local Government units are made responsible under the legal framework, such as: family welfare, education, public health, social welfare, etc., are administered by different agencies of the national government. The above facts reveal that the Local Government units in Bangladesh are being constantly controlled by the national government through various mechanisms for almost every aspect of their operation and functioning. Such practices, in reality, have turned the local government institutions in Bangladesh into mere extension of the national government and of their various agencies.