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The government of Bangladesh has introduced several initiatives seeking to develop participatory governance at the local level in order to maximise the outcomes of aid-assisted development projects. This article examines the impact of these initiatives and demonstrates that participatory local governance faces a number of challenges in Bangladesh, in particular, absence of democratic culture and tradition and disengagement of citizens, asymmetric distribution of patronage and weak institutions. In theory, political elites and bureaucrats in Bangladesh advocate democracy, accountability and local-level participation, but in practice, they have an affinity for power and centralised authority. Their reform initiatives seem half-hearted and disjointed restricting the growth of democratic culture and participatory local governance at the local level in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As a condition of receiving foreign aid, developing country governments have actively tried to achieve pro-people development through community participation in local-level development projects. Based on a case study of Bangladesh, this article analyses the impact of community participation on the various governance-related issues such as accountability, transparency, responsiveness and predictability during the implementation of such projects. The empirical findings reveal that efforts to achieve such objectives have mostly been futile, leaving community participation in the local governance process as an inchoate and piecemeal affair. Political manipulation, clientelism and inadequate governance structure and processes have been the key stumbling blocks contributing to such failures. This study provides important insights into governance at the local level, implying that greater awareness and participation are needed to formulate and implement effective community-based local governance in developing countries such as Bangladesh. 作为接收外国援助的一项条件，发展中国家的政府会积极通过地方层面的发展项目的社区参与，来取得民生的发展。本文基于对孟加拉的一项个案研究，分析了社区参与对各种治理相关话题的影响，诸如项目实施期间的问责、透明度、因应、可预见性等等。实证研究发现，实现这些目标的努力大多劳而无功，搞得地方治理过程中的社区参与有始无终，七零八落。政治操控、裙带关系、不到位的治理结构及过程都是导致失败的绊脚石。本文深入考察了地方层面的治理，指出在孟加拉国这样的发展中国家，需要更大的自觉和更多的参与来规划并实施有效的社区层面的地方治理。 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]