Introduction

South Asia houses one-fourth of the world's people. Though its local governments are chained by a tenacious contradiction – they hold the key to sustainable development but find difficulty in unlocking their own financial power. Bangladesh is not an exception in this regard, though they are functioning to provide better local service in a participatory manner. Although the country is lauded for its amazing improvement in healthcare, education, and poverty alleviation, its grassroots organisations – the Union Parishads (UPs) – offer a more complex narrative. Handling everything from rural infrastructure to rudimentary healthcare, these village-level councils are at the frontline of service delivery. However, there is a brutal reality as they function with empty pockets. Most UPs survive on donations from the central government, rendering them incapable of adequately meeting local demands even though they have the legal authority to gather taxes and costs. Thus, one may wonder what the outcome is. The outcome is a governance framework that promises empowerment but produces dependency. This book is expected to fill that gap. This is required reading on turning legislative promise into local reality for anyone interested in improving local governance through thorough investigation across nine UPs in Rajshahi district – drawing insights from 240 citizens, authorities, and experts – it examines why resource mobilisation fails and how it could succeed. By comparing Bangladesh's experience with India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, the first chapter offers more than a diagnosis; instead, it provides practical pathways toward financial self-reliance.