BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

MICROGOVERNANCE: A PROSPECTIVE TOOL OF GOOD GOVERNANCE IN BANGLADESH

Author: M. Aynul Islam

DOI Link: https://www.doi.org/10.56888/BIISSj2007v28n1a1

ABSTRACT

Contemporary world is witnessing new types of governance in which services are provided through networks and partnerships within and across the state and non-state actors. The core assumption of microgovernance approach is to enhance micro-solution centric approach, empowering micro-level institutions, localizing national policies, mobilizing mass people and to use local knowledge in governance. It is understood that the idea of microgovernance promotes more convergence than divergence in policy formulation and implementation. This paperattempts to identify some pressing problems of governance in Bangladesh and examine how the promotion of microgovernance approach can be useful to ensure good governance. It evaluates success stories of microgovernance in Bangladesh in order to assess its feasibility for and likely impact on effective governance. Microgovernance becomes relevant for Bangladesh for twospecific reasons. First, there is a failure of traditional or existing governance paradigm. Despite the cry for good governance for the last fifteen years or even more, governance problems are still widespread in Bangladesh. It is assumed that microgovernance would fill the void or address the missing links. Second, the relevance of microgovernance can also be understood in the context of rising local initiatives demonstrated through civil society empowerment, grassroots participation, and effective local government.