Governance: Meaning, Issues and

Challenges
A Bangladesh Perspective
MD. SAIDUR RAHMAN
LECTURER, DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND SOCIOLOGY
NORTH SOUTH UNIVERSITY

Introduction
Governance

both as a term an as a notion is in

fashion now with considerable controversies as
well.

Governance

is a gimmick that incorporate old

ideas and principals in a new package and
claims that to be an innovation.

The Meaning of Governance

Different Usage in the Definitions
Action,
Action

method or function of government.

or manner of governing.

Definitions [1]
Governance

is the act of manner of governing,

of exercising control of authority over actions of
subjects; system of regulation. [Oxford
Dictionary, 1991]

Governance

reflects a judgment on the quality

of government. [Jahan, 1992]

Definitions [2]
Governance

denotes how people are rules, how

the affairs of the state are administered and
regulated as well as a nations system of politics
and how this functions in relation to public
administration and law. [Landel-Mills and
Serageldin, 1991]

Definitions [3]
The World Bank provided two definition of
governance:
First

definition emphasized on how political power

is exercised to manage a nations affair. [1989]

The

second focused on the use of power in the

management of a countrys economic and social
resources for development. [1992]

Definitions [4]
Governance

refers to a system of government

concentrating on effective and accountable
institutions, democratic principles and electoral
process, representation and responsible
structures of governmnt, in order to ensure an
open and legitimate relationship between the
civil society and the state. [Halfani et al. 1994]

Definitions [5]
Governance

includes public administration and

the institutions, methods and instruments of
governing and also incorporates relationship
between government and citizen (including
business and other citizen groupings) and the
role of the state. [OECD, 1995]

Good Governance
The

discovery of the principles for good

governance and identification its essential
features has taken principally two forms:

1.

The Symptoms of Poor Governance

2.

Key Feature of Good Governance

The Symptoms of Poor

Governance

10

Failure

to make a clear separation between what is public and what is

private, hence a tendency to direct public resources for private gain.

Failure

to establish a predictable framework of law and government

behavior conducive to development or arbitrariness in the application of
rules and laws.

Excessive

rules, regulation, licensing requirement, and so forth, which

impede the functioning of markets and encourage rent-seeking.

Priorities,

inconsistent with development, resulting in a misallocation of

resources.

Excessively

narrowly based or non-transparent decision making.

Key Features of Good

Governance [1]
The

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promotion of democracy and open pluralistic societies.

The

strengthening of transparent, accountable, efficient and

effective national and local government.

The

promotion of respect for human rights.

The

reinforcement of rule of law, including fair and accessible

legal and judicial system.

The

promotion of independent media and the dissemination of

information.

Anti-corruption

initiatives; and efforts to reduce excessive

military expenditure.

Key Features of Good

Governance [2]

12

Sir Kenneth Stowe identified six variables to explain good governance:

1. Political System, including free speech and a freely-elected
parliament, assemble or legislature.
2. Constitutional and judicial protection for the rights of the individual.
3. The maintenance of stable currency, the essential underpinning of
economic and social development.
4. Maintenance of the rule of law by an independent judiciary.
5. Development of society as a whole by education and health care.
6. Executive accountability to a freely-elected legislature.

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Key Issus of Good Governance

What are the key issues of governance?
i.

Exercise of authority and manner and process through which such

authority is exercised has an important bearing on governance.

ii.

Authority is invariably related to legitimacy.

iii. Legitimacy

of authority is also linked with crucial variables like

political freedom, multi-party systems, and free elections, rule of
law, independent judiciary and protection of rights of the individual.

iv. Good

governance is premised on a number of positive values like

democracy, probity and fairness.

v.

The relationship between civil society and the state is crucial.

International Donors and

Governance

14

Governance is on the agenda of international donors.

The

World Bank

United Nation Development Programme (UNDP)

United States Agency for International Development

(USAID)

Overseas Development Authority (ODA)

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Challenges of Governance
Role

of the State

Reorienting

the Public Bureaucracy

Strengthening
Curbing

Civil Society

Corruption

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Role of the State

It is usually assumed that governance would improve
significantly if the domain of the state is reduces.
But, what will happen to following issues?
Strength of the public sector.
Attracting and retaining the best talent public sector.
Fraudulent practices of private sector.
Scope of the judicial review.
Government reform.

Reorienting the Public

Bureaucracy

17

Deterioration in the standard of education.

Non-transparent decision making.
Absence of effective accountability mechanism.
Political influence and politicization of public
officials.

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Strengthening Civil Society

A strong and vibrant civil society can mediate the
state and the private sector.
It can also protect the interest of citizens, especially
the weaker and the disadvantages sections.
But,
How to strengthen civil society?
How to ensure that civil society remain apolitical?
How to prevent elite based civil society?

State of Governance in
Bangladesh

19

Nature of the Polity

Political System
Widening Horizon of Corruption
Lack of Accountability and Transparency
Worsening Human Right Situation
Increasing Politicization of Public Bureaucracy
Increasing Expenditure on Military

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What should be done?

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Reference:
Khan, M. M. (2013). Governance: Meaning, Issues and Challenges - A
Bangladesh Perspective. In M. M. Khan, From Government to
Governance: Expanding the Horizon of Public Administration to Public
Management (pp. 163-190). Dhaka: The University Press Limited.