বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ তৃতীয় পত্র
officers is too thin for any effective administration. The burden on the district officers is too heavy to produce any meaningful administration. It has always been rightly pointed out that Bangladesh has been suffering from under administration. The Report of the Finance Commission, 1943, observed that Bangladesh was under administered.
It seems reasonable to suggest that all the sub-divisions should be converted into districts. In some cases one or two sub-divisions may have to be divided into two districts. The optimum size of the population of each district should be between 6,50,00&) to 10,00,000. As and when it is implemented, it will produce near about 60 or 61 districts in Bangladesh. There are now 411 police stations or thanas in the country. These areas should be suitably arranged into 250 sub-divisions with an average population of 3, 00,000 in each sub-division. The city of Dacca may be converted into a metropolitan district. Being the headquarters of the Government, the greater Dacca city has problems which have no parallel in other areas.
It will require a larger number of officers' of different categories than the country has at the moment. It will also involve substantial amount of money. The whole scheme can be implemented on a phased basis. In the meantime, the Government should appoint a high powered committee to go into the whole issue.
Local Self-Governing Bodies.
Good government is no substitute for the foundation of democratic local selfgoverning bodies. The local self-governing institutes provide the people with the opportunity to participate in the local administration is a very significant aspect of democracy. The main problems to be faced in organizing the local self-governing bodies will be:
(1) Problem of area.
The districts are too vast both in population and area. It is already proposed above that the sub-divisions with necessary adjustments should be converted into districts. This will make the area of the proposed District Board small with a manageable population.
(2) District Board.
(a)The existing District Council should be renamed as the District Board. The members should be elected on the basis of the universal adult franchise. The District Boards should consist of 25 to 30 members. The Chairman of the District Board should be given the rank of a Deputy Minister.
(b) The District administration should be divided into two-sectors one concerned with “regulatory" functions, like law and order, revenue, magisterial functions and other similar activities, and the other with “developmental" functions, such as agriculture, irrigation, animal husbandry communications, public health and sanitation, education, industries, rural arts and crafts, and so on. The Deputy Commissioner should be the head of the former and the District Board should have the responsibility for the latter.
