The World Bank has urged Bangladesh to empower its urban local governments with greater financial and technical authority to manage the country’s rapid urbanization and job creation needs.
In its Bangladesh Development Update, the Bank said most city and municipal bodies lack the resources and autonomy to plan or deliver essential services effectively. It recommended increasing block grant allocations under the Local Government Division’s Annual Development Program and distributing them through transparent, population-based formulas.
The report also called for mandatory staffing of key posts, including chief executive officers, engineers and finance officers, and training for local officials in investment planning, procurement and financial management.
Strengthening city administrations, the Bank said, would allow urban local governments to respond faster to community needs, mobilize their own revenues and improve accountability as Bangladesh’s cities continue to expand.