Upazilas of Bangladesh

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Upazilas of Bangladesh

The districts of Bangladesh are divided into subdistricts called Upazila (Bengali উপজেলা upojela) or Thana. Upazilas are similar to the county subdivisions found in some Western countries.

Bangladesh, at present, has 500 upazilas and 509 administrative thanas^[1]^{[citation needed]} for a total of 1009 subdistricts. The upazilas/thanas are the second lowest tier of regional administration in Bangladesh. The administrative structure consists in fact in Divisions (7), Districts (64), Upazila/Thana and Union Parishads (UPs). This system of devolution was introduced by the former military ruler and President of Bangladesh, Lieutenant General Hossain Mohammad Ershad, in an attempt to strengthen local government.

Below UPs, villages (gram) and para exist, but these have no administrative power and elected members. The Local Government Ordinance of 1982 was amended a year later, redesignating and upgrading the existing thanas as upazilas.^[2]

Administration

Each Upazila Parishad (or council) has a chairman, a vice chairman and a woman vice chairman. All three are elected through direct popular election. Union Parishad chairmen within the upazila are considered as the members of the porishod. The post of a woman vice chairman was created to ensure at least one-third woman representation in the all elected posts of the local government.

There is a non-elected administrative Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO, or Upazila Executive Officer; Bengali: উপজেলা নির্বাহী কর্মকর্তা) in each Upazila. UNOs are Senior Assistant Secretary of Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS). They act as executive officer of the upazila under the elected posts.

On 22 January 2010 the first election in 18 years of Upazila Porishod was held.^[3]

References

↑ AMM Shawkat Ali (2006). "Thana". In Sirajul Islam. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
↑ Kamal Siddiqui. "Local Government". In Sirajul Islam. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
↑ "Upazila polls influenced: EC slams ruling party for misusing offices, controlling administration; tells of violence, ballot-stuffing, seizing polling stations by AL men; decides to probe low turnout reason".
↑ "Community Report Dhaka Zila June 2012". Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

List of Upazila Chairmen and vice chairmen

External links

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Upazilas of Bangladesh

Administration

Gopalganj District

Joypurhat District

Rangamati District

See also

References

External links