Many union parishads across the country are still struggling to provide essential services as the chairmen of the local government bodies either went into hiding or were arrested in the aftermath of the July mass uprising.

Though the government has appointed administrators to fill the leadership void, there have been complaints of delays in getting birth and succession certificates that require approval from UP chairmen.

The situation worsened after the launch of "Operation Devil Hunt" in early February when several UP chairmen were arrested over alleged links to criminal activities, prompting many others to go into hiding.

Out of 4,575 UP chairmen across the country, at least 1,535 remain absent from work. Panel chairmen are handling the responsibilities of UP chairmen in 885 unions, while administrators have been appointed in 650 unions, according to officials at the LGRD ministry.

Moreover, 245 chairmen and 335 members were suspended till January, they said.

Besides running the government's social safety net programmes and village courts, implementing rural development projects, and ensuring law and order, union parishads issue birth, death, character and citizen certificates, among other services.   

Talking to this newspaper, residents, officials and UP members in several districts said the absence of elected representatives caused disruptions to services.

They said many of the administrators are unfamiliar with the people and infrastructure in their new places of deployment and are often burdened with additional work.

Besides, some panel chairmen, picked from among UP members to perform the duties of UP chairmen in their absence, are finding it hard to play their new role due to a lack of leadership experience.

In Chattogram, 134 out of 191 UP chairmen remain absent from office. Now, 46 UPs are managed by upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs), 39 by assistant commissioners of land, and 49 by panel chairmen.

Scores of service seekers in these unions said they had faced difficulties in obtaining documents from UP offices.

Recounting her ordeal, Rumana Akter, a resident of Ward-1 in Barahatia Union, said, "I had to visit the parishad office multiple times to get my daughter's birth certificate. I was told that UP Chairman Bijoy Kumar, an Awami League leader, remains absent. It took 15 days and a lot of hassle to get the certificate."

Milton Chowdhury, secretary of Popadia union parishad, said, "Our chairman, SM Jasim Uddin Chowdhury, has not come to office since August 5. For his approval, we have to send documents to the port city where he is staying now. What used to take a day now takes two or three."

Out of the 146 UP chairmen in Mymensingh, 77 are absent, with government officials or panel chairmen filling their positions, said district administration sources.

Ebadul Haque, a resident of Char Sirta union, said he had to wait for 10 days to get a succession certificate. Rokon Hossain from the same union shared a similar experience.

Seeking anonymity, a UP secretary in Gouripur upazila said panel chairmen often struggle to run parishads due to a lack of leadership experience. In the unions where administrators have taken charge, service delivery has slowed down because they are burdened with too many tasks.

A UP member in the same upazila said many documents are pending, as the administrator usually visits the office twice a week.

In Rajshahi, 41 out of 72 UP chairmen are absent with 24 panel chairmen and 17 administrators playing their roles.

Parvez Rayhan, director of Local Government in Rajshahi Division, said, "Those who remained absent since August 5 without taking leave have been replaced by administrators."

In Sylhet, 18 of the 105 UP chairmen remain absent, with panel chairmen and administrators managing parishad activities.

Talking to this newspaper last week, Talukder A Hossain, a resident of Dargapasha Union, said, "Our chairman has been absent for months … I applied for a succession certificate over a month ago. I finally got it a couple of days back."

At least 17 of the 88 union parishads in Barisal are running without chairmen.

Acting chairman of Charbaria union parishad Md Al Mamun said beneficiary lists for VGF and VGD programmes have not been updated, causing delays in providing support to new recipients.

Contacted, LGRD Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan said, "In the unions where UP chairmen have been suspended or absent, government officials are carrying out administrative duties. This arrangement will continue for the time being."

The government refrained from removing any UP chairmen (elected between 2021 and 2022 during the Awami League government's tenure), considering the potential sufferings this could cause to people, he told The Daily Star on April 17.

Earlier at the DC Conference on February 18, Asif said, "In the absence of elected representatives, government officers are forced to multitask, making it difficult for them to provide services properly.

"No matter how diligently government officers work, it is nearly impossible for them to fully manage a ward's responsibilities. They don't know the people there, nor are they familiar with the area's infrastructure."

Asked, Rezaul Maksud Jahedi, secretary of the Local Government Division, said, "The absence of chairmen in different unions caused some temporary problems but the local administration is resolving them through alternative measures … Administrators have already been appointed in many UPs."

He further said the development of an app for birth registration is nearing completion. It'll allow citizens to submit applications by following a few simple steps on mobile phones.

[Our correspondents in Chattogram, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Barishal and Sylhet contributed to the report]