1 . 4 Barriers to Decentralization 1 6 1 . 5 a Theoretical Note on Inter - Governmental Relations and Politician - Bureaucrat

Political and economic decentralization of governance structure and the promotion of self-goveming local adninistration have been considered as high priority public policy issues in the developing countries in recent years. Conventional literature on decentralization focuses only on the managerial and economic dimensions of the process. It generally ignores the analysis of political feasbility of 'npiementing such policies. I chose to focus on the political dimension of decentralization policy. More specifically, I analyze the political use of a major decentralization in Bangladesh by a military dictatorship and the reaction that this policy provoked among bureaucrats and politicians both at the central and local level. My discussion of the Upazila (Sub-district) reform of general Ershad re'm1 982 -90) shows that, success and failure of reform from above, depend upon the nature of resolution of the conflicts among various actors inside and outside the state& Authoritarian but politically weak regime of general Ershad, failed to implement substantive changes in the political and administrative structure of the Upazila level govemment., the reason being the lack of legitimacy of the regime in the civil society and also its heavy dependence on the civil bureaucracy to implement reform. The bureaucracy resisted reform because it was threatened by loss of power at the local level of administration. Bangladesh experience tells us that, establishment of local self-govemance needs more than one particular regine's strategic political interest. Local autonomy can only be ensured through changes at the macro level of political and administrative structure (changes in the constitution to provide legal basis for the local government, major reform of intergovemmental relations to create an accountability structure through elected representatives rather than the bureaucratic chain of command). and also by strengthening and expanding the economic basis of the local government (more productive tax base, greater control over local economic development plans). Thesis Supervisor: Prof. Bish Sanyal Title: Associate Professor, Department of Urban Studies and Planning