They said as the representatives of the local government are not elected by the people, they show little responsibility and accountability to provide better services to them.

The roundtable was organised by Bangladesh Union Sadasya Sangstha (Baisos) at the National Press Club in the city.

The Sangstha presented an 18-point recommendation titled 'Ways to strengthen and make vibrant the local government institutions' to the seven-member committee formed by the caretaker government.

The recommendations include the structure, manpower, finance, duties, responsibilities and coordination among the local government institutions.

It also recommended how the relations would be maintained between the central government and the local government and the local government and parliament members.

"It is not possible to make the union parishad vibrant with only2.67 percent development budget fixed for local government which is 40 percent in Kerala and 16 percent in West Bengal. Besides, to increase manpower and to work properly the budget should be increased," said Matiur Rahman Tapan highlighting the problems facing the local government.

As chief discussant, Coordinator of Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) Ferdous Ahmed Qureshi said to strengthen the local government, the greater districts should be made divisions and separate divisional council should be formed.

But political decentralisation is a must before administrative decentralisation, he said, adding, the system of electing local government should be changed.

"The local government representatives should be elected directly by people's vote, not by the suggestions of donor agencies," said Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, project coordinator of Gonoshasthya Kendra, adding that even the chairman should be elected by direct vote of the people and not by the members.

Member of the Local Government Strengthening Committee Dr Badiul Alam Majumder said the local government should be given four Fs- function, finance, functionaries and freedom.

"We should follow the principle of resolving the problem where it emerges," he said, adding that only those problems could be brought to the central government, which are not possible to resolve at local government level.

"If we want to create opportunity to flourish leadership, we should also strengthen local government," said Badiul Alam.

Moderated by Baisos Chairman Golam Sarwar Milon, the roundtable was also addressed by local government expert Dr Tofayel Ahmed, former secretary to the government Khondokar Fazlur Rahman, Prof Ferdous Hossain, Banker Shah Mohammad Nurul Alam, former parliament member Golam Rabbani, and JSD General Secretary Abdul Malek Ratan.