Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that in the continuity of the Awami League government, the allocation of budgets for local government departments has increased nearly sixfold, which is a significant milestone.
Speaking on the occasion of ‘National Local Government Day’ on Sunday (February 25), she said this in a speech. The theme of this year’s event is ‘Local Government Will Be Smart, Ensuring the Right to Services.’
Sheikh Hasina said, “After a long 21 years, in 1996, we formed the government and embarked on the path shown by the Father of the Nation for the development of the country. We actively established the district council law in 2000, turning the local government institution into an active and people-centric institution.”
She added, “The previous government allocated Tk 5,799.36 crore to local government departments in the fiscal year 2006-07. We allocated Tk 8,212 crore to the local government departments in the fiscal year 2009-10, aiming to empower the local government institutions. Of this, Tk 6,956 crore was allocated for development expenditure.”
The Prime Minister said, “In the fiscal year 2023-24, Tk 46,703.92 crore has been allocated to local government departments, of which Tk 40,502.92 crore remains as the institutional framework for development expenditure. In the last 15 years, we have constructed 75,825 kilometers of rural roads, 1,767 Union Parishad complexes, and developed 2,874 growth centers and haat-bazaars. At the same time, 89 projects have been undertaken for the improvement of water supply, sanitation, and waste management.”
She added, “All local government institutions are now witnessing a significant flow of work. By 2041, local government will have to be made smart and service-oriented for the construction of a developed and prosperous Bangladesh, which is the golden Bangladesh of the dreams of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.”
Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the ‘National Local Government Day’ with joy and expressed heartfelt greetings and congratulations to all the members of the local government department and local government institutions of the country and the people of this country on this auspicious occasion.
