The Implication of Local People’s Perception of Development A Prerequsite for the Mega Development Projects of the Government of Bangladesh

Abstract

This paper reconnoiters the concept of development through some mega projects of the Government of Bangladesh from the  perspective of local people. This study is an initiative to conduct the ongoing mega projects with multidimensional perspectives  regarding the idea of development that are experienced particularly by the local people due to the wave of mega development  projects that have been supervening in multiple areas of Bangladesh. Local people’s understanding of development through mega projects remains an unheeded issue within development research and initiative. This paper stresses the intersection of intention and  agenda between development recipients, professionals and other agents because context-specific attributes of development that are  derived from the local people can provide miscellaneous insights and each insight has its interest and explanation. We believe that  incorporating such multiplicity in the mega project studies has unprecedented potentiality which can regenerate and reformulate the conventional framework of megaproject studies. While recognizing the contributing factor of a mega project, this study entails  precisely focuses on promoting community participation thereby helping to prioritise the local people in development initiatives. Even  though mega projects endeavour to strengthen the overall living standards for the people, factors like- local people’s everyday negotiation and contestation which they are encountered because of urbanbiased bureaucratic planning- are predominantly getting  less attention with mega project research and action. This article contends that, utilizing local knowledge, acknowledging their needs  and ensuring local people’s participation can circumscribe inclusive attainment of these projects. This undertaking has been attempted to engage the local people in different levels of decision-making in order to understand their felt needs in a cooperative  effort to mitigate their own problem which may result in a faster and more sustainable outcome. Having a keen insight into what  happens at the local level can be an unerring basis for working out what to do regarding project planning or policy deployment in that particular region. Since the local people are the key agent of these development efforts a reciprocal collaboration between these two  parties is indispensable as this paper has necessitated.