Documentary on Information as Right: use of RTI Act by civil rights activists.
Documentary on Information as Right: use of RTI Act by civil rights activists- Click for Watch.
Even if dormant, the RTI Act’s promise remains powerful
April 17, 2026
As the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2009 remains effectively dormant in Bangladesh, RTI
advocates must now rely on the new government’s resolve to operationalise it. The law has
been inoperative due to the absence of information commissioners since the interim
government assumed power in August 2024 following a mass uprising—a situation that appears
to reflect deliberate inaction intended to shield its activities from public scrutiny. While
prioritising pressing issues in its early days, the current government has chosen to postpone
consideration of the slapdash RTI (Amendment) Ordinance, along with a few others, left behind
by the interim administration. While that matter must now wait, what cannot be delayed any
further is the urgent need to fill the vacant posts of information commissioners and restore the
law to full functionality.
This is important not only in its own right but also because the law’s effective use can help the
government fulfil its commitments—commitments in which citizens themselves have an
important role to play through the proper use of the RTI Act.
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.
