Achieving sustainable development goals at local levels

A study on participatory budget making at local government bodies in Sylhet district of Bangladesh

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of open budget meeting as a means of ensuring public participation in the budget making process at local government bodies in Bangladesh’s Sylhet region, and also compares the extent of public participation among urban local government and rural local government bodies.
Methodology: This study followed both quantitative and qualitative approach conducting a social survey. Among 13 Upazilas of Sylhet district in Bangladesh, Kanaighat upazila was selected randomly. The study was conducted at Kanaighat paurashava and Satbak union. Findings: This study reveals that the most of the people participate in open budget meeting with a motive to get some personal benefits. Moreover, a few elected officials prefer not to involve the general public in the OBM, considering public participation as a source of disruption.
Research limitations: Sample size is a limitation of this study. Due to Covid-19 situation, a larger sample could not be collected. Additionally, the study covers only one district, out of 64 districts in Bangladesh.
Practical implications: This study suggests that the government and local bodies may take appropriate measures to enhance citizen’s capacity as well as access to information regarding budget making process for the purpose of ensuring inclusive and participatory decision making at OBM in Bangladesh’s local government bodies, leading to achieving SDG 16.7 declared by the United Nations.
Originality/value: This is an original study conducted in Sylhet district of Bangladesh. The study findings confirm similar findings elsewhere in the world.