Relationship between Central and Local Government: Experiences from Turkey and Bangladesh

Abstract

Local government is an essential element of the states. The principles of integrity of administration and autonomy constitute the essence of the relationship between the central and local governments. Based on these two principles, the central government tries to determine the general policy of the country's administration by obtaining power based on tutelage over local governments, while local governments demand autonomy within their areas of duty, with their resources, responsibilities, and powers. This situation follows a similar course in many countries of the world. This study aims to analyze the relations between Turkey and Bangladesh's central government and local governments, their administrative structures, duties, and functions. Turkey and Bangladesh are two Muslim-majority countries with similar socio-cultural characteristics in many aspects. Bilateral relations between these two countries have developed in recent years, especially in trade, defense, migration, and other sectors. In the development of these bilateral relations, the role of the relations between the central and local administrations of the countries is essential. Within the framework of the similarities and differences between the central and local administrations of these two countries, this study tries to evaluate the development of both countries' religious, social, and economic relations and cooperation activities. The research for this specific purpose is structured as a qualitative study, relying on secondary data from various scientific publications.