তথ্য অধিকার আইন

The Daily Star, Tue March 15, 2022

Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz

The Information Commission of Bangladesh delivered a much-awaited decision on March 8, 2022, and a much-needed shot in the arm of the right to information (RTI) regime in Bangladesh. The commission displayed objectivity in applying a key aspect of the law—that which pertains to the government’s legitimate need to exclude some sensitive information from disclosure to the public.

The decision related to a complaint case dealt with by the Information Commission earlier in the year. It arose from an RTI request of a Bangladesh national to the police authority for some statistics on the application of the Digital Security Act (DSA). The police denied the request, arguing that disclosure of the requested information would obstruct enforcement of law, incite offence, endanger public security, impede judicial process, and affect investigation. Provisions of Section 7 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, which provided for such exemptions to public authorities, were cited…Read More