An Overview of Bureaucratic Accountability and Efficiency in Bangladesh

Research Paper (undergraduate) from the year 2013 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: South Asia, , course: Graduate School of Public Administration (GSPA), language: English, abstract: In pluralistic societies, all over the world bureaucracy plays a predominant role for bringing social change, transformation, modernization and development. But in Bangladesh bureaucracy represents a dismal picture and suffers from various ills. Standing on the threshold of the 21st century when the whole world is experiencing cataclysmic change in the sphere of political transformation, economic globalization, technological innovation, media revolution and rapid growth of the nation states- it is now quite exigent to rearrange or reorganize the state machinery for coexisting with the changed world order. In consonance with the changes- the role, function and responsibility of bureaucracy should be devised in a way that it can ensure its productivity and efficiency by creating an enabling condition for development. Absence of efficiency, transparency, accountability, representational political culture, institutional weakness of political, social and economical apparatus and malfunction among those systems has made the bureaucratic system in Bangladesh despicable and disdainful. The paper, ipso facto, aims at unravelling the issues related with the concept of bureaucracy, the role of bureaucracy in the third world with special emphasis on Bangladesh, depicting a brief sketch about the traditional and development bureaucracy in Bangladesh. Lastly, but not the least, some suggestions to make the bureaucracy accountable, efficient and responsive to the people's demands and aspirations have been given.

Dr. Rahman works (Joint Director, Research) in the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD). Mr. Rahman has 20 years experience in social research, training and action research in broader areas of rural development, local governance and policy issues etc. BARD is mandated to conduct exploratory and operational research, policy analysis; impart training programs to the GOs and NGOs officials & others concerned with rural development. Mizan has published widely in some international and national journals i.e. Sociology Mind, International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences, Asia-Pacific Journal of Rural Development, NIDA Development Journal, Thai Journal of Public Administration, Afro-Asian Journal of Rural Development, Bangladesh Journal of Public Administration, Bangladesh Institute International and Strategic Studies Journal, Journal of Rural Development, The Journal of Rural Development (BARD), Bangladesh Journal of Public Administration etc. He has experience in designing and managing training programs for national and international level participants. Mr. Mizan also holds positions in academic/professional bodies.