Public Service Delivery in Bangladesh: Parliament, Public Policy and Local Government

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Delivering public services to the satisfaction of the citizen is an important challenge confronted by democratic governments everywhere in the modern world. Unlike authoritarian rulers who may conveniently ignore public opinion, democratic governments can do it at their peril. As a natural rule, they have to be responsive to legitimate claims and demands of their citizen.

It is, however, now widely recognized that the government alone cannot make available different kinds of services that people may need. Although the responsibility for making macro-level policies and legislation regarding different kinds of services rests mostly with the government, there are several other actors such as local government, NGOs, and the private sector that are involved in the delivery of services. Alternative mechanisms such as public-private partnership, government-NGO collaboration, and government and local government cooperation in service delivery are more often noticed now than in the past. The extent to which one is superior to the other is difficult to ascertain.

This edited volume explores a number of important issues related to the planning and delivery of public services in Bangladesh. It examines the role of national level institutions in planning and policymaking as well as institutions directly responsible for delivering services on the ground .

The book should be of interest to academics, policymakers, practitioners, researchers, students, donors and civil society representatives.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part 1 Introduction

Chapter 1 Introduction – Nizam Ahmed

Part 2 Parliament

Chapter 2 Parliament and Democratic Consolidation in Bangladesh – Nizam Ahmed

Chapter 3 Parliament and PRSP: The Bangladesh Experience – Nizam Ahmed

Chapter 4 Do Constituency Relations Matter? An Anthropology of MP–Constituent Relations in Bangladesh – Zahir Ahmed

Part 3 Public Policy

Chapter 5 Change and Stability of Public Policies in Bangladesh: An Alternative Model of Policy Process – Asif Shahan and Ferdous Jahan

Chapter 6 Participatory Policy Process in Bangladesh: Efforts in Search of Participatory Governance? – Rizwan Khair

Chapter 7 Environment Policy of Bangladesh: An Assessment of the Institutional and Implementation Challenges – Salahuddin M. Aminuzzaman

Chapter 8 ICT Policy for Digital Bangladesh: Status of Compliance and Challenges – Sadik Hasan

Part 4 Local Government

Chapter 9 Local Government and Public Service Delivery in Bangladesh: The Role of the Union Parishad – Jamie Boex and Ferdous Arfina Osman

Chapter 10 Politicians, Bureaucrats and the Working of Upazila Parishad in Bangladesh – Pranab Kumar Panday

Chapter 11 Participation and Accountability in Urban Local Government in Bangladesh: A Study of the Paurashava – Mobasser Monem

Chapter 12 Party-Based Vs. No-Party Local Elections in South Asia – Background, Ramifications and Consequences: Theoretical and Historical Perspectives – Najmul Abedin

Part 5 Public-Private Partnership and Public Service Delivery in Rural Bangladesh

Chapter 13 Public-Private Partnership and Inclusive Local Governance in Bangladesh: Factors, Issues and Prospects – Mohammad Mohabbat Khan and Md. Shahriar Alam

Chapter 14 Delivery of Primary Health Care Services in Rural Bangladesh: A Political Economy Perspective – Ferdous Arfina Osman

Chapter 15 Policing as Public Service: Can the Police Deliver it Alone? – Chowdhury Abdullah Al Hossinie and Anwara Begum

Chapter 16 Public-Private Partnership and Delivery of E-Services in Rural Bangladesh: A Study of Union Digital Center – Shah M. S. Safiul Hoque and K. M. Mahiuddin

Chapter 17 Government-NGO Collaboration in Public Service Delivery in Bangladesh: A Critical Evaluation – Amir M. Nasrullah and Md. Arifur Rahman