Beyond Governance: Political Consolidation and Community Engagement in Union Parishad Standing Committees, Bangladesh

This study examines the operational functionality of Union Parishad (UP) Standing Committees (SCs) in Bangladesh, with a focus on their roles in local governance and political consolidation. This qualitative study purposively selected 48 participants, comprising representatives from the UP, government officials, NGO representatives, and SC members. Thematic analysis was employed for data interpretation, revealing that SCs, as governance mechanisms, were utilised as tools by the ruling political parties for consolidation, thereby sidestepping their intended roles of accountability and participation. Additionally, the study reveals that NGOs have shifted from capacity building to commercial pursuits and that a patron-client relationship hinders governance access for all classes, benefits certain groups, and silences critical voices. This study found significant differences between the procedures for forming and operating the UP SCs. Local government reforms should be implemented to enhance UP capacity, encourage opposition participation, and reduce the influence of parliamentary members, thereby improving SC performance.