Ershad proposes provincial govt to decentralise power

Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad yesterday proposed that provincial government system be introduced dividing the country into eight provinces to reduce pressure on Dhaka, decentralisation of power and balanced development across the country.

According to his new formula, he outlined the map of the provinces, which include Northern province, Jahangirnagar province, Jalalabad province, Barendra province, Jahanabad province, Chandradwip province, Mainamati province and Chattala province.

Ershad, also a lawmaker and former president, placed his proposal at a seminar titled 'Planning of provincial government system in Bangladesh' at a city hotel. He said each province would have a council of 600 members and a separate cabinet with a chief minister at its head while the central government would be a federal one.

Amid huge support from two former advisers to the caretaker government, leaders of different small political parties, university professors, the former military ruler-turned-politician said the federal government would oversee the administration of the provinces by appointing provincial governors.

"The president would be the chief of the federal government while the prime minister would head the parliamentary government," said the chief of JP, a key component in the Awami League-led ruling grand alliance government.

He said there is no other alternative but to launch a provincial system for ensuring balanced development across the country, good governance, creating job opportunities and reducing pressure on the capital. Provincial government system will also reduce unemployment and the law and order will be improved greatly once the system is introduced, he added.

The former president said each province would have a High Court, which would function under the Supreme Court located in the federal capital Dhaka. He called on the leaders irrespective of all political parties to work together in order to implement the new system.

Ershad mentioned a number of steps introduced during his regime as part of decentralising power, including promoting mahakumas (subdivisions) to districts and thanas to upazilas.

Former advisers Dr Akbar Ali Khan and Mahbubul Alam, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President ASM Abdur Rab, Krishak Sramik Janata League President Abdul Kader Siddiqui, Kalyan Party Chairman Maj Gen (retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim, Secretary General of Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh Maj (retd) MA Mannan, Prof Dr Selim Uddin Ahmed of Dhaka University, Prof Syed Shafiullah of Jahangirnagar University, Chief of Centre for Development Research Dr Mizanur Rahman Shelley, former chief election commissioner Justice Abdur Rouf backed Ershad in promoting his formula.

Echoing the former president, they said it is the demand of time to introduce provincial government to curb pressure on Dhaka and to build a developed country.