How to use RTI when there are no information commissioners
Thursday 15 May 2025
Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz
VISUAL: FATEMA JAHAN ENA
The right to information (RTI) regime in Bangladesh lost momentum with the departure of all three commissioners of the Information Commission following the mass uprising in July-August 2024. However, determined citizens are trying to make do and refusing to give up. Conferring with RTI activists from around the country, we can discern how they are creatively making the most of the situation.
In Dinajpur sadar, an RTI applicant was outraged by the quality of public healthcare services at local facilities. Reports of inadequate medical supplies, cleanliness, and insufficient staff were widespread. The lack of transparency regarding healthcare budgets and service standards further exacerbated the community’s concerns. Responding to these challenges, she filed an RTI request with the relevant health authorities, seeking information about the allocated healthcare budgets, expenditures, and service standards for local healthcare facilities. To her utter delight, she and others soon noticed a conspicuous change in the quality of healthcare services in the concerned area. The authorities appeared to have immediately undertaken a review of their service standards. Medical supplies were replenished, cleanliness and hygiene were improved, and efforts were made to ensure staffing levels met the established standards.
