Public Accountability in Bangladesh: Problems and Prospects

Good governance has become a serious concern for all countries in the world. It is the result of a tough process of institutional design. The principal element that assures good governance is the accountability of public officials. Powerful accountability mechanisms have to be institutionalized so that all public servants are made accountable for their actions. This is the most important way to guarantee good government. While developed countries have successfully faced the challenges of public accountability, developing countries are struggling hard in this respect. This paper is an attempt to analyze the dynamics of public accountability in Bangladesh. The objectives of this paper are: (1) to explicate the significance of public accountability.; (2) to spell out the mechanisms of public accountability in Bangladesh; and (3)) to analyze the effectiveness/ineffectiveness of the mechanisms of public accountability with special reference to the overall governance situation in Bangladesh.