Role of local government in indigenous market management in the rural areas of Bangladesh: Do these markets play development roles?

Abstract

Hat-Bazars are the indigenous markets that work under the supervision of Local Government and owned by the Local Government in Bangladesh. These markets play vital role for the development in the rural areas of Bangladesh. But , there are challenges for proper management of the markets.Hat-Bazar under local government has the following characteristics: 1. It has legal entity under Local Government bodies and formed through an act of legislature named The State Acquisition and Tenancy Act, 1950.2. It helps the local Government bodies to earn revenue and maintenance expenses.3. Local businessmen and farmers can market their products and crops in these Hat-Bazar.4. Central Government also earns revenue getting the land tax, VAT, income tax from the Hat-Bazar. This article is written based on a study.Objectives of the study were to learn the lease procedure of Hat-Bazar (Local Govt.Markets), to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Hat-Bazar and to analyze the Hat-Bazar management under Upazila Parishad and Pourashava and to find out the ways for augmenting their income and its efficient and effective utilization. . In respect of any particular reference the study was confined to the local government bodies of rural areas only. This study focused on the scheduled government markets (Hat-bazar) of rural areas (Municipality and Upazila) only, but there were unauthorized markets in Govt. owned land also. Those markets were not taken into considerations. Depth interview method with structured questionnaire was adopted.A total number of 240 persons were interviewed. The interviewees comprised of cross-section of people including public reprensentatives, Govt. officials, businesspersons, lessee and NGO workers. Observations and focus group discussion methods were taken into account also.Secondary sources of data were also included. Existing policy for the management of indigenous markets (Hat-Bazar) was reviewed for the study.Analyzing the responses of the respondents, collected data and observations following recommendations could be summarized:? 1. Political interference should be stopped to make the local Govt. bodies effective and active.? 2. Proper maintenance, sanitation and infrastructure should be ensured to make the govt. hat-bazar effective.? 3. Political interference and administrative control should be avoided to make the hat-bazar committee effective. Businesspersons should get priority in hat-bazar management.? 4. Hat-bazar management policy should be made more understandable.? 5. Lease should be ensure and direct collection should be avoided in order to increase revenue? 6. Leasing procedure should be made easy and should be done in short periode..? 7. Share of Upazila and Union Parishad and Municipality from hat-bazar should be increased. 8. Hat-Bazar management activities should be done in Upazila level.? 9. Union parishad may be given full authority to manage all hat-bazars up to certain limit.? 10. Women marketers should get proper security and sitting arrangements 11. Law and order situation should be maintained in hat-bazar.? 12. The Hat-Bazar management committee should arrange special transportations for the businessperson so that they can carry their products in appropriate price.Government Hat-bazars are the main indigenous markets of Bangladesh. From the very ancient period these markets are the only places where farmers and producers sell their products. These markets control the local business as well as the national business. So, environment, infrastructure ,and, law and order of these markets should be maintained properly. The Hat-bazar management committees can ensure these with the help of local administration and the local Govt. authority. If proper management is ensured these indigenous markets could be able to aid the development of Bangladesh.