Chief Advisor of the past caretaker government Justice Habibur Rahman Saturday said the local government system was a victim of protracted negligence causing a massive setback for the desired economic growth, reports BSS.

"I don't believe that Bangladesh economy will exceed many western economies by the middle of the current century as predicted by veteran economists, unless the decentralisation of power is ensured," he told a discussion on governance at the Shishu Academy in the city.

Rahman said the local government system was subject to negligence for the past 42 years since the 1971 independence while it was actually being run by the bureaucratic machinery instead of elected public representatives.

Good Governance for Citizens (Sujan), a governance watchdog, staged the discussion to mark its tenth founding anniversary with acting president of the forum and advisor of the past caretaker government M Hafizuddin Khan in the chair.

Noted lawyer and politician Dr Kamal Hossain and civil society figures including advisors to the past caretaker government Dr Akbar Ali Khan, SM Shahjahan, former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof Moniruzzaman Miah and Sujan general secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumder spoke at the function.

Kamal Hossain urged the people to be more cautious in electing their leaders to make functional the parliamentary system, as the main opposition party abstains from parliament.

He urged the people to not to vote for those who do not join parliament and elect leaders who will attend parliament at any cost.

Former advisor Dr Akbar Ali Khan said, "We have to come out of the two flows of politics and solve the prevailing crisis between the state and the society."

Dr Badiul Alam urged people not to cast vote for war criminals in the next general elections.

"Common people should refrain from casting vote for war criminals as the nation is united for trial of the war crimes," he said.