তথ্য অধিকার আইন

Monday, August 19, 2024

Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz

Now is the opportunity for our youth to lead us in using existing laws to build a better country

The seismic changes in Bangladesh in three fateful weeks—from mid-July to early August—were a powerful testament to people’s power. The induction of an interim government led by Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus has been a harbinger of hope for the country’s Right to Information (RTI) Act. This law can help meet the nation’s cry for systemic change in governance.

Over the years, this column has lamented that a powerful law like the RTI Act has not been utilised to its full extent. More than a handful of activists and individual citizens have used it, but Bangladesh’s civil society, known for its stand on public issues, has largely stayed away. One reason for this was the fear of possible reprisal by the authorities facing information requests on sensitive matters that may expose their misdeeds. Read more