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This book analyses the challenges and possibilities connected to resource mobilisation in local government systems within South Asia; the book focuses on Bangladesh while placing the nation's experiences within the larger regional context alongside India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
Local governments in South Asia operate within intricate political and administrative structures often marked by centralisation, limited financial autonomy, and socio-economic inequalities. Through case studies, surveys, and interviews, the book offers qualitative and quantitative data to provide a detailed investigation of resource mobilization, and chapters offer actionable solutions with practical illustrations for enhancing local government structures. The comparative approach acknowledges particular socio-economic and political contexts while identifying regional trends and transferable lessons for improving fiscal sustainability and governance reforms.
The book will be of interest to academics and postgraduate students working in South Asian politics, Asian development, and public policy and governance studies more broadly. Scholars will benefit from relevant analysis examining decentralisation, fiscal federalism, and good local governance in contemporary policy debates.
List of contents
1. Introduction 2. Unveiling the Theoretical Framework: Exploring Resource Mobilisation in Local Governance 3. Resource Mobilisation in South Asia: Comparative Experiences from India, Sri Lanka and Nepal 4. Historical and Legal Context of Local Governance and Resource Mobilisation in Union Parishads 5. Unlocking Potential: Current Resource Mobilisation Practices in Union Parishads 6. Driving Forces and Barriers: Understanding Resource Mobilisation in Union Parishads 7. Towards Financial Sustainability in Union Parishads: Challenges, Prospects and Strategic Recommendations 8. Bridging Theory and Practice: Exploring the Dynamics of Local Governance and Resource Mobilisation 9. Conclusion
About the author
Pranab Kumar Panday is Professor in the Department of Public Administration, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh and a Former Adjunct Professor at Central Queensland University, Australia. His previous publications with Routledge include, "Local government transformation and citizen engagement in Bangladesh" (Routledge, 2025, with A. Al-Maruf), Gender-responsive budgeting in South Asia: Experience of Bangladeshi local governance (Routledge, 2021, with S. Chowdhury) and "Government and NGOs in South Asia: Local Collaboration in Bangladesh" (Routledge, 2019, with M. J. H. Majumdar).
A. H. M. Kamrul Ahsan is Professor in the Department of Public Administration, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh.
