ZCZC
BSS-34
AREFIN-SIX-POINT-DECENTRALIZATION
Arefin for administrative decentralization following spirit of six-point
By Maloy Kumar Dutta
DHAKA, June 7, 2020 (BSS) – As the 1966 six-point demand of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had envisioned inherent spirit of political and economic freedom, former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University (DU) Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique has suggested decentralization of power and administration in line with the six-point at different tiers to reach services to doorsteps of people.
“Every point of the historic six-point demands was about democracy and administrative decentralization. Being imbued with the spirit of the six-point, we need to go for decentralization of power, administration and health system to reduce pressure on capital Dhaka,” he told BSS in an interview over mobile phone today as Bangladesh observes the Six-Point Day virtually.
Administrative decentralization means the transfer of responsibility for planning, financing and managing of certain public functions from government and its agencies to field units of government agencies, he said.
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman launched the historic six-point political and economic programme in Lahore on February 5 in 1966, aiming at attaining greater autonomy for the then East Pakistan in the backdrop of exploitation and discrimination by the then Pakistani rulers.
Siddique, also a leading communication expert and noted educationist, said after the independence, Bangabandhu had decentralized the administration and power by establishing Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BaKSAL) to bring districts under governors to ensure ‘autonomy structure’.
The decentralization of power and administration to empower people as piloted by Bangabandhu were the key strength of six-point demands, he added.
“I think if we want to have a democratic country in its true sense, we would have to make administrative decentralization in various way with the spirit of six-point demands to materialize the dream of Bangabandhu for building Sonar Bangla,” he observed.
Siddique, also a professor of mass communication and journalism at DU, also suggested decentralization of health system to reduce excessive pressure on the capital Dhaka.
“In the wake of coronavirus outbreak in the country as well as the entire world, today we are witnessing that there is huge pressure of patients on Dhaka as the health system apparently remain centralized,” he said.
Though the government of Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said, has established and developed quality hospitals and facilities in divisional cities and districts towns, set up community clinics in remote areas across the country to reach health facilities to the doorsteps of people, “we are witnessing, the people are rushing to Dhaka to have better health services”, he said.
The educationist stressed intensifying the practice of overall decentralization (in the independent Bangladesh) that was enunciated by Bangabandhu in 1966 remaining in the structure of Pakistan.
Siddique said “Though Bangladesh got independence on the basis of six-point demands of Bangabandhu, after the liberation we lost Bangabandhu.”
He continued after the assassination of the architect of independent Bangladesh, not only the spirit of six-point had been destroyed but the country witnessed repeated ill attempts and conspiracies hatched to destroy its independence and freedom of people, besides enforcing military and autocratic rules on people.
He blamed Khandker Mustaque Ahmed and Ziaur Rahman with doing those evil acts.
“Now after a long period daughter of Bangabandhu, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been spearheading the country following every footsteps of Father of the Nation. I thing she will put emphasis on administrative decentralization which was one of dream of Bangabandhu in line with the spirit of the six-point,” he said.
The six-point demands were – creating provision in the constitution for a Federation of Pakistan in its true sense based on the Lahore Resolution, making the federal government to deal with only two subjects: Defence and Foreign Affairs, introduction of two separate, but freely convertible currencies for East and West Pakistan, vesting the power of taxation and revenue collection with the federating units, maintaining two separate accounts for the foreign exchange earnings of the two wings and creation of a separate militia or paramilitary force for East Pakistan.
BSS/Spl/MKD/KU/1930 HRS