Socialism: Utopian vs Scientific

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The Impact of Participatory Budgeting to Ensure Good Governance

Abstract

Participatory budgeting has been advocated as a democratic innovation that could bring governance closer to citizens. In Bangladesh, however, democratic innovations are at the infantile stage. Only a handful of participatory budgeting projects have been initiated so far. The aim of this paper is to present the main lessons learnt from these projects and to present the impact of participatory budgeting as a tool or process to ensure good governance. While preparing this paper, it has been trying to identity and discuss, whether participatory budgeting has been successfully implemented or not and what kind of the problems participatory budgeting faced while implementing. Also focused on how Participatory Budgeting play a helpful role in establishing good governance in a such counties. After study it has been found that, Participatory budgeting is an effect of development processes, rather than a tool for achieving development goals.

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Urban Local Government Budgeting in Bangladesh: Procedure and Problems

 Abstract

The history of local government is older than the history of national government. Local government started its journey from the Ancient Greece, where various types of local city states exist. Local government is also an important term of the present world. Because today’s national governments are bigger in size, and they cover a large population. For this reason, the national government handover some of its duties to the local government to give the citizens better benefits. There are two types of local government: Urban Local Government & Rural Local Government. The history of Urban Local Government in the Indian sub-continent, especially in Bangladesh started from the Mughal era. Today, most of the development of an urban area depends on the urban local government. Budgeting is one of the most important part of urban local government. In this paper, we will discuss about the procedure and problems of the urban local government budgeting in Bangladesh.

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Evaluating the Impact of E-governance in Facilitating Citizen Engagement at Local Level

Abstract

The transformative potential of e-governance in enhancing citizen engagement at the local level has garnered significant attention worldwide. This research endeavours to evaluate the impact of e-governance on fostering citizen engagement within the context of Bangladesh. The study's objectives encompass assessing citizen awareness and digital literacy's influence on e-governance participation, evaluating the efficacy of existing e-governance tools in facilitating engagement, and identifying barriers hindering citizen involvement. Employing a mixed-method approach, this research draws data from 50 respondents in the 3 No South Durgapur Union of Adarsha Sadar Upazilas, Cumilla. The findings underscore several critical aspects, including the limited digital adaptation among senior citizens and less educated segments, as well as a prevailing lack of awareness concerning e-governance initiatives and the Union Digital Centre (UDC). Insufficient service provision by the UDC, exacerbated by poor internet connectivity, compounds the challenges. Moreover, the absence of timely responses to feedback, inadequate service quality, and concerns over data privacy further impede effective e-governance adoption. The significance of this research lies in its contribution to the discourse surrounding e-governance and citizen engagement, specifically within the local governance framework of Bangladesh. The findings elucidate issues pertinent to technology adoption, service accessibility, and transparency enhancement. The study not only sheds light on barriers but also offers recommendations to surmount these obstacles, serving as a valuable resource for government agencies aiming to bolster citizen participation. Additionally, this research enriches the literature available to future scholars and researchers interested in exploring the intricate interplay between e-governance, local government dynamics, and citizen engagement.

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Bangladeshi Political Parties will be responsible for spreading the COVID-19 Omicron XBB.

After the fall of Sheikh Hasina's fascist regime, the other political parties became very active. Because, after sixteen years of authoritarian rule, all the political parties gained the space to conduct their activities. Every day, they hold showdowns, road meetings, public rallies, and the largest public meetings. Those are their political and constitutional rights. So, they can do it. However, the COVID-19 situation is deteriorating daily. The number of COVID-affected people is increasing every day, which is a significant threat to public health. However, the political parties seem to have no concern about it. They want power, nothing else. BNP has held many large public rallies in recent times. Another strong political party, the NCP, is also conducting a nationwide road march across Bangladesh. There is a high risk of spreading the coronavirus through these political programs.

This is the era of science and technology. The politicians of Bangladesh are adept at utilizing digital devices. They can conduct meetings to communicate with their supporters and volunteers using various apps, such as Zoom and Google Meet. On the other hand, they are polluting the beautiful city environment by posting on the street-side walls. This is disgusting. They can conduct their electoral campaign through online advertisements on social media. Social media campaigns will be more effective than the traditional poster and rally-based campaigns.

Never Share Your Personal Information on Social Media

 

Once, I was very innocent, and I shared my thoughts and sorrows with other people. But every time, they betrayed me and revealed my secrets to others. For this reason, now I never share my pain with others. I never share my plans with my parents either. Hiding your plans from everyone is the key to success.

I saw that many people are updating their every moment on social media. They don’t have any idea what they are doing. They are just destroying their future in their hand. Most people in our society are envious of others' achievements. So, updating every step on social media is a foolish task. I deleted all my social media accounts over a year ago. I am leading a fantastic life now. I can now focus on my work.

Social media is only a medium of communication for us. We can connect with our friends, family, colleagues, and the people we care about the most. But some people make social media their whole life. That’s a significant problem!

On the other hand, some people share their photos and locations on social media. Sometimes, criminals or hijackers follow those accounts and determine their current location. Then attacked them. I am also a victim of this type of hijacking, where hijackers obtain my real-time location from my Facebook posts.

So, it is better to use social media to connect with your known people and express your thoughts on various social and political issues. However, never share personal information, photos, or locations that could be harmful to your life.

The Return of the COVID Pandemic: What Should We Do?

 

The COVID pandemic has returned once again—stronger and more dangerous than before. The newly emerged variant is called COVID-Omicron XBB, which is different and more hazardous than previous variants. Its symptoms are also distinct, such as:

1. No cough
2. No fever
3. Joint pain
4. Headache
5. Pneumonia
6. Significant loss of appetite

This variant is said to be five times more toxic than the Delta variant, resulting in a higher mortality rate. Symptoms can escalate rapidly, and in some cases, the condition worsens without any clear warning signs.

Unlike earlier variants, this one is not found in the nasopharyngeal region (deep inside the nose). Instead, it directly attacks the “window” area of the lungs, leading to pneumonia. Some patients show signs of mild pneumonia on X-rays even without fever or pain. Swab tests from the nose often return negative results, making this a deceptive virus.

In short, this virus spreads easily, directly infects the lungs, causes viral pneumonia, and leads to severe breathing difficulties. COVID-Omicron XBB is highly contagious and deadly.

 

How to Protect Yourself:

Although this variant hasn’t spread widely yet, its high contagiousness and Bangladesh’s dense population are accelerating its transmission. With daily reports of deaths, here’s what you can do to protect yourself and your family:

1. Wear a mask when going outside. Use protective eyewear and gloves if possible.
2. If you feel suffocated wearing a mask, carry a clean handkerchief. Cover your nose and mouth with it in crowded places.
3. Keep sanitizer in your pocket to clean your hands when needed.
4. After returning home, remove and isolate the clothes you wore outside. Wash your hands with soap.
5. Avoid crowds.
6. Avoid eating outside food, as many restaurant kitchens maintain poor hygiene.

There’s no need to panic about this new variant. Stay calm. Follow basic health guidelines and continue your daily activities with awareness. With a little caution, we can prevent the spread of this virus.

Wishing everyone good health and a happy life.