Documentary on Information as Right: use of RTI Act by civil rights activists.
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Why the government must prioritise RTI
March 15, 2026
By Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz
After the first cabinet meeting of the new BNP government on February 18, a 180-day priority
plan was announced focusing on controlling commodity prices, maintaining law and order,
stabilising supply chains, and ensuring uninterrupted gas and electricity supply. Given the
difficult inheritance from the interim administration, setting these priorities was expected as they
addressed the immediate anxieties of ordinary households and the basic conditions for economic
stability.
However, if the government truly intends to deliver on these commitments, and sustain public
confidence while doing so, it must tackle a less visible but more decisive requirement: a
governance system that is transparent, accountable, and responsive to citizens. Without that
foundation, even well-designed welfare programmes can be weakened by information gaps,
weak monitoring, and administrative inertia.
Reviving RTI: A test for the new government
Feb 15, 2026
By Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz
FILE VISUAL: ANWAR SOHEL
The long-anticipated and widely speculated national election has concluded. Contrary to many
predictions, voters delivered a decisive mandate to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
People’s participation signals their endorsement of a platform framed around institutional
stability, rational governance, and inclusivity. The party leadership has reiterated its commitment
to strengthening the rule of law and combating corruption—priorities that, if pursued
consistently and with integrity, will shape both the credibility and durability of the incoming
administration.
The result also holds significant implications for the future of the Right to Information (RTI)
regime in Bangladesh. The year and a half of the interim government (IG) elicited both praise
and criticism for reasons widely known. For many who viewed the July 2024 uprising—driven
largely by a politically awakened younger generation—as a turning point aimed at restoring
popular sovereignty and revitalising democratic institutions, the IG’s record on transparency and
accountability proved deeply disappointing
When institutions falter, the defence of RTI falls to citizens
Jan 15, 2026
By Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz
While 2025 was a year marked by despair over the paralysis of Bangladesh’s right to information (RTI) regime, the beginning of 2026 has brought a welcome note of resistance and resolve. One may recall that the departure of all three information commissioners in September 2024 effectively rendered the Information Commission defunct, leaving RTI users frustrated and the law itself dangerously adrift. Yet, rather than surrendering to institutional inertia, RTI activists who persisted in using the law throughout 2025, however hesitantly, began the new year with a clear and defiant pledge: transparency and accountability will not wither through neglect.
At a meeting held in Dhaka on January 8, activists from across the country, joined by prominent representatives of leading civil society organisations, announced plans to form a citizens’ platform to coordinate collective action, support embattled RTI users, and confront the persistent intransigence of public authorities who continue to treat the RTI Act of 2009 with derision. This moment of mobilisation is significant because the RTI regime stands at a critical juncture today. For around 17 years, Bangladesh’s RTI law has survived not because of robust institutional enforcement but because of the quiet perseverance of a relatively small yet committed group of users—journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens—trained and supported by a handful of dedicated NGOs. Their steady engagement demonstrated that access to information could improve service delivery, expose maladministration, and strengthen democratic participation. It was never a mass movement; it was a living one.
How RTI activists keep the law alive
Dec 15, 2025
‘It is equally fundamental that all political parties seeking a mandate to govern uphold and promote the RTI Act as a cornerstone of good governance and participatory democracy.’ FILE VISUAL: ANWAR SOHEL
The absence of Bangladesh’s three information commissioners—vacancies that, almost a year and a half on—have left the Right to Information (RTI) regime severely debilitated, with replacements still inexplicably pending. However, instead of lamenting about it today, let’s learn how the country’s dedicated RTI activists—our “RTI warriors”—are coping with the situation. Trained over the years by a handful of committed NGOs, these individuals are locally recognised for helping people use the law to promote transparency and oversight in governance. In the absence of a functioning information commission, their work has become riskier and more complex, demanding greater perseverance and strategic acuity.
Encouragingly, although some have grown disheartened and stepped back, a significant number continue with remarkable determination and tenacity. Rather than retreating in the face of bureaucratic inertia, these RTI warriors have adopted a strategy of persistence: signalling to public officials that—even without formal oversight—citizens remain vigilant, committed to monitoring public services, and prepared to demand accountability.
