তথ্য অধিকার আইন

June 15, 2026

Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz

FILE VISUAL: ALIZA RAHMAN

It is true that observers have so far viewed the performance of the BNP government, which took office in February 2026 following a year-and-a-half-long interim administration, with cautious optimism. But many have been dismayed by the government’s failure to appoint the country’s three information commissioners since the previous ones, like numerous officials serving in comparable institutions, vacated their positions in the aftermath of the July uprising. Nearly four months into its tenure, the government’s continued inaction about restoring the Information Commission to full strength has disappointed those who hoped that the political transition would mark a decisive shift towards more democratic, transparent, and accountable governance.

The much-invoked spirit of the July uprising rekindled hopes for a genuine transformation in governance—one in which citizens’ voices would be respected, the rule of law upheld, and the laws of the land used to advance citizens’ interests rather than suppress them. Among more vigilant citizens, there was also the expectation that their right to know how the government functions would be meaningfully guaranteed through, inter alia, the effective implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2009.

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May 15, 2026

FILE VISUAL: ANWAR SOHEL

Recently, Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman, adviser to the prime minister on information and broadcasting, has welcomed constructive criticism from citizens regarding the government’s performance. We take that invitation in the spirit in which it was offered—not to criticise the government per se, but to reiterate the deep concern of many citizens over the troubling state of Bangladesh’s Right to Information (RTI) regime and to urge swift corrective action.

This decline began soon after the interim government assumed office in August 2024, when the three information commissioners vacated their positions amid political uncertainty. Their posts have remained unfilled ever since, severely impairing the effectiveness of one of the country’s most important instruments of democratic accountability, the Information Commission. Repeated calls for timely appointments went unheeded, perhaps reflecting an unwillingness on the part of the interim authorities to submit themselves to the scrutiny the law was designed to ensure.

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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.

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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.

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