Article 11 of the constitution provides for effective participation of people in administration at all levels through their elected representatives.

Each of the upazila parishads is legally an administrative unit at upazila levels. So, people's effective participation in every upazila parishad administration through their elected representatives must be ensured to uphold the spirit of the constitution.

But the largely rigged upazila parishad elections in the past few weeks have jeopardised the spirit of the constitution, triggering many crucial questions.

How will people's effective participation be ensured in at least 100 upazilas' administration where polls have been rigged and people denied their constitutional right to exercise franchise to elect their reoresentatives? The size of such population is significant. There were more than one and a half crore voters in those upazilas. And at least three crore people - around one-fifth of die country's total population -live there.

Denial of voting rights means their involvement in picking the leaders of the upazila administration was ignored. And their hopes, dreams and ambitions may not be reflected in the development activities of the upazila pari shads.

These upazila parishads may opt for a go-it-alone policy under the leadership of those chairmen who rigged the polls. If so, this will be against the basic spi ri t o f th e 1 oca 1 gove rn m e n t sys te m.

It has become a crucial issue as to how those representatives who got elected as chairmen and vice-chairmen in the 100 upazilas through rigging

will serve local citizens.

The functions of an upazila parishad are very significant for locals.

An upazila parishad is responsible for managing and delivering a range of quality services to locals, such as public health and recreational facilities and maintenance of local roads. The nature of its functions makes an upazila a government unit at people's doorsteps.

But will they care about people? They did not, after all, bother about robbing people of their rights.

It remains uncertain whether they will care about people's welfare. It is certain that people will have to pay for their salaries and other facilities. One more thing is almost certain: they will give financial benefits to their party men who ensured their victories by capturing polling stations, snatching and stuffing ballots in the polls.

Rowdy party men expect to get importance over the locals. In the view of political analysts, this may increase corruption in government administration at the upazila levels.

Even blessed by die chairmen, the ruling party men may turn more violent and engage in unlawful activities like manipulation of tenders and extortions at upazila levels. Local government experts fear they may appear as threats to law and order. Rule of law and human rights situation may face a further setback at the local level.

Like other local government bodies, upazila parishads are also expected to encourage and throw up new leadership to build the country. Many of the upazila representatives will be elected members of parliament in future. Some of them will even be ministers.

But in the rigged upazila parishad

elections the face of our future leadership has been exposed. What will they deliver when they rise to higher political echelons in future?

How will those upazila chairmen who bulldozed die people's voting rights contribute to the Awami League-led government’s efforts to establish good governance as per the party's electoral pledges?

How will die AL-led government, as per its electoral pledges, proceed with its plans to strengthen die upazila parishads, with around 100 upazilas remaining under the leadership of tainted chiefs?

Given all such circumstances, die upazila parishads being constituted through the just concluded controversial elections will face enormous challenges in delivering on their mandates and in fulfilling people's expectations.