Political Economy of Local Level Budgeting in Bangladesh: A Critical Analysis

Accompanying the estimation of revenue and expenditure, local level budget manifests a grassroots area's development plan for defined period. In Bangladesh, Union Parishad (UP), lowest tier government, is obliged to prepare its annual by ensuring people's participation through various mechanisms committees following Local Government (Union Parishad) Act, 2009. With this background, study explores UPs' budgeting procedure identify influential actors effectiveness from political economy perspectives. Following qualitative case approach, was conducted on four Parishads in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Cumilla Narsingdi districts. It follows in-depth interview Focus Group Discussion techniques collect primary data UP chairman, members, Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNO), other members committees. The finding shows that like Ward Committee (WC), Shava (WS), Standing (SC), Planning (PC) Social Mapping are not working accordingly. most cases, these confined papers. practice, dominated politically economically empowered groups, e.g. chairman his allies, ruling party elites bureaucrats, which hindering socio-economic at grass-root Bangladesh.