Local Government Adviser Hassan Ariff has said on Wednesday the tenure of government should be four years instead of five years.
"If the United States government can have four-year term, there should be no issue in having a four-year term for government in Bangladesh. This is my personal opinion," he said at a views-exchange meeting with the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) held at the Secretariat Media Centre.
Ariff said the term for Union Parishads was once three years but was later extended to five years.
However, he claimed that there is no noticeable benefit from this two-year increase, nor has it ever been evaluated. "I believe the term for elected chairmen and members should be three years."
He said with a three-year term, five elected representatives would serve over 15 years, allowing a greater number of public representatives the opportunity to work.
In response to a question about the removal of Union Parishad Chairmen and members, he said no decision has yet been made on the matter.
In response to another question, the adviser said that the government is likely to start appointing 'full time' administrators at city corporations, zilla parishads, upzila parishads and municipalities instead of the part time charges given after removal of the public representatives.
"We understood that it's not possible to deal with the situation with part time men as there are many works and full time responsibilities of the administrator to serve the people." The meeting was presided over by BSRF president Fasih Uddin Mahtab and moderated by BSRF general secretary Masudul Haque.