Dr Tofail Ahmed has said qualified representatives are needed to run the state properly.Photo : BSS

RANGPUR, Jan 17, 2025 (BSS) - Head of the Local Government Reform Commission Professor Dr Tofail Ahmed has said qualified representatives are needed to run the state properly.
 
"A participatory, free, fair and impartial election can provide the state with qualified representatives. And there is no alternative to everyone's cooperation in organizing such an election," he said.
 
Professor Ahmed, also a local government expert, made the observation at a view-exchange meeting on local government reforms held at the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner's office in the city on Thursday afternoon as the chief guest.
 
The Local Government Reforms Commission, Local Government Division, Rangpur district administration and Democracy International jointly organized the event.
 
Professor Ahmed said that there are countries in the world where there is no constitution. Still, those countries are being run well. The reason for this is that everyone performs their duties properly from their respective positions.
 
Regarding the election of public representatives, he said that the people of the country must elect educated and qualified representatives for them.
 
The participants in the meeting put forward various proposals to reform the local government system.
 
The proposals include holding local elections on the same day, elections without party symbols, providing opportunities for teachers and employees to participate in elections and giving judicial powers to local public representatives to resolve disputes.
 
The proposals also include public participation in the financial management of local governments, reducing the deposit amount of candidates in local elections, introducing a local government election system on the model of the central government and so on.
 
Additional Secretary of the Local Government Division AKM Tariqul Alam, its Rangpur Divisional Director Md Abu Jafar, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rabiul Faisal, and Superintendent of Police Abu Md Saim addressed the event as special guests.

Members of the Local Government Reform Commission, government officials and representatives of various political parties, representatives of civil society, student representatives and journalists were present at the meeting.