Union lowest administrative unit in the rural areas. The creation of a union as such can be traced back to 1870 when efforts were made to create certain village level bodies under the Village Chaukidari Act of 1870. Under this Act, villages were grouped into unions to provide for a system of watch and ward in each village. The guidance in detail for the creation of unions is laid down in articles 2 and 3 of the Bengal Chaukidari Manual. Thus emerged in the development process the concept of a local government unit which, though limited to security functions at the formative stage, formed the basis of the primary unit of local government in later years. [AMM Shawkat Ali]