Local Government Engineering Department

Last updated August 04, 2019

Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) is an organ of Bangladesh government created for provision of transport infrastructures in rural areas and to provide technical support to the rural and the urban local government institutions (LGIs), planning and implementation of infrastructure development projects in the rural and urban areas to improve communication and transport network, job creation, and poverty reduction.

Politics of Bangladesh takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Bangladesh is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The Constitution of Bangladesh was written in 1972 and has undergone sixteen amendments. The Economist Intelligence Unit has rated Bangladesh as "hybrid regime" in 2016.

History

LGED took root in the early 1960s, when implementation of Works Programme (WP) started to develop physical infrastructure for poor people. In the 1970s, it grew into a cell of the Local Government Division (LGD) under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives. In 1982, it became an independent body named the Works Programme Wing per recommendations of the Enam Committee^{[lower-alpha 1]} to administer Works Programme nationwide, and was renamed as the Local Government Engineering Bureau (LGEB) per a decision of the National Implementation Committee for Administrative Reforms (NICAR) in October 1984. It was upgraded as LGED in August 1992.^[3]

The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives is a ministry of the government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. It is responsible for the housing and building, regional and rural policy, municipal and cities administration and finances, and the conduct of elections.

LGED implements three of the four components of the Comilla Model, a development program designed at the Comilla Academy for Rural Development (renamed as Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development) in 1961. These are the Works Programme, the Upazila Irrigation Programme and construction of Upazila Training and Development Centre.

The Comilla Model was a rural development programme launched in 1959 by the Pakistan Academy for Rural Development. The Academy, which is located on the outskirts of Comilla town, was founded by Akhter Hameed Khan, the cooperative pioneer who was responsible for developing and launching the programme.

Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development

Bangladesh for Rural Development (EPARD) is an autonomous institution that strives for research and training of local people as well as practitioners on rural development. The academy is known for implementing the Comilla Model in the 1960s that has been internationally recognised as a model project for rural development in the developing countries.

Headed by a Chief Engineer it employs, as of 2007, a total of 10,246 Engineers and other staff. It has district offices headed by an Executive Engineer and sub-district offices headed by an Upazila Engineer. Upazila Engineers play key role for transport, social and institutional infrastructure development. LGED implementats more than 60 development projects a year in rural development, agriculture, water and transportation.

Notes

↑ Early in Chief Martial Law Administrator Ershad's regime, the Martial Law Committee was formed to examine the organizational structure of Bangladeshi ministries, divisions, and directorates. The committee was headed by Brigadier General Enam and became known popularly as the Enam Committee.^[1]^[2]

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References

↑ Azizuddin, Muhammad (June 2011). "Administrative Reform in Bangladesh: An Overview of Political Dynamics" (PDF). Nepalese Journal of Public Policy and Governance. Central Department of Public Administration. 38 (1): 49–68. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
↑ Sabharwal, Meghna; Berman, Evan M. (2013). Public Administration in South Asia: India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. CRC Press. p. 226. ISBN 978-1-4398-6913-0.
↑ Hassan, Md Shahidul (2012). "Local Government Engineering Department". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.

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[3] Early in Chief Martial Law Administrator Ershad's regime, the Martial Law Committee was formed to examine the organizational structure of Bangladeshi ministries, divisions, and directorates. The committee was headed by Brigadier General Enam and became known popularly as the Enam Committee.^[1]^[2]

[1] Azizuddin, Muhammad (June 2011). "Administrative Reform in Bangladesh: An Overview of Political Dynamics" (PDF). Nepalese Journal of Public Policy and Governance. Central Department of Public Administration. 38 (1): 49–68. Retrieved 5 February 2016.

[2] Sabharwal, Meghna; Berman, Evan M. (2013). Public Administration in South Asia: India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. CRC Press. p. 226. ISBN 978-1-4398-6913-0.

[4] Hassan, Md Shahidul (2012). "Local Government Engineering Department". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.