Lesson 2/34 min
Rural local government: zila, upazila, union
Rural local government has three tiers: the Zila (district) Parishad, the Upazila Parishad and the Union Parishad. The lowest and most active of them is the Union Parishad.
The three tiers at a glance
| Tier | Key facts |
|---|---|
| Zila Parishad | Head: chairman; law of 2000; first election in 2016 |
| Upazila Parishad | Head: chairman; administrative head is the UNO; introduced by H. M. Ershad |
| Union Parishad | Head: chairman; 13 members in all; 5-year term |
Union Parishad structure
- 1 chairman + 9 general members + 3 reserved women members = 13
- One reserved women's seat for every three wards
- Women began to be elected directly to the reserved seats in 1997
Steps of the upazila system
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1982 | Thana Parishad created by ordinance |
| 1983 | Thanas are upgraded and renamed upazilas |
| 1985 | First Upazila Parishad election |
| 1998 | The abolished system is reintroduced |
Watch out: When was the upazila system abolished? The two books say 1992; Banglapedia says 1991 (a 1991 ordinance). The sources disagree, so this year is not used in any quiz question.
More that exams ask
- The Local Government Ordinance: 1976
- The three hill districts (Rangamati, Bandarban, Khagrachari) have their own Hill District Councils; set up on 6 March 1989
- The National Implementation Committee for Administrative Reorganisation: NICAR (it approves new upazilas)
Did you know?: The Union Digital Centre is a union-level information service centre; a question on it has been asked.
Watch out: Reforms, elections and administrator appointments for local bodies have been changing since 2024. This lesson names no office-holders; check the latest position before your exam.
Check yourself
How many members does a Union Parishad have in all?
At a glance
- 1
Rural local government has three tiers: zila, upazila, union; the lowest and most active is the Union Parishad.
- 2
A Union Parishad has 13 members: 1 chairman, 9 members, 3 reserved women; 5-year term.
- 3
Women have been directly elected to the reserved UP seats since 1997.
- 4
Upazila: Thana Parishad 1982, renamed upazila 1983, first election 1985; introduced by Ershad.
- 5
The Zila Parishad law dates from 2000; the first election was in 2016.
- 6
The three hill districts got their own local government councils in 1989.