At the central level, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development plays a key role in urban governance, with a wide range of controlling authority over urban local government institutions. Two types of urban local bodies, known as city corporations and pourashavas, have massive public, environmental and primary health care mandates. They are both directly elected by the local people. Out of the 522 urban areas5 identified by the 1991 Census Commission (Bangladesh 1993), only 316 urban centres have local governments.