Figure 5 - uploaded by Tanjil Ahmed
Content may be subject to copyright.
Source publication
City Corporations, which are crucial in defining the urban environment, have a significant impact on the quality of life of their residents. Hence, this study aims to explore citizens' assessment and satisfaction with the different services provided by Mymensingh City Corporation. Employing an exploratory research approach, the study gathers quanti...
Context in source publication
Citations
... Participation often pertains to individuals' active involvement in the decision-making process concerning the equitable distribution of development program benefits, as well as their engagement in endeavors aimed at evaluating these programs (Fitzgerald et al. 2016). In each democratic country, people's participation is crucial because it affects people's living standards and governance systems (Begum and Ahmed 2023). In that case, decentralization is often associated with many apparent advantages, including enhanced accessibility to decision makers, increased engagement of diverse social groups in the decision-making process, and heightened responsibility among decision makers (Andersson, Gibson, and Lehoucq 2004). ...
The active involvement of people is of paramount importance in establishing a robust governance framework in Bangladesh. Employing active citizen engagement, individuals have the opportunity to share their perspectives on the process of governmental decision-making. From this perspective, this study investigates the impediments to active community involvement in Ward Shava and Open Budget Sessions within various Union Parishads in Trishal Upazila. The study was conducted based on a quantitative approach. A total of 300 local residents from different Union Parishads (Amirabari, Bailar, Baliparar, Dhanikhola, Mathbari, Rampura, Sakhua, and Trishal) under Trishal Upazila participated in the cross-sectional survey. The findings of the study reveal that a significant majority, i.e., 80% and 83% of the respondents, did not actively engage in this initial and final phase of the budgeting process, respectively, whereas only 39% of individuals residing in rural areas actively engaged in the Ward Shava. The results also show that a number of related factors, such as low levels of awareness, low rates of literacy among rural populations, political influence, intimidation and fear, distrust, bureaucratic complexity, etc., significantly impede people's participation in Ward Shava and Open Budget meetings. In this vein, addressing these challenges requires a concerted effort to raise awareness through community education, capacity building, and inclusive decision-making, promote accountability and transparency, and establish effective communication between local authorities and the community. However, the study findings incorporate theoretical and practical contributions to the field of local government.
