The hope of a new dawn for RTI and democracy
Aug 15, 2025
FILE VISUAL: ANWAR SOHEL
Two recent developments have alleviated, at least temporarily, the creeping despondency among right to information (RTI) enthusiasts in Bangladesh, which was triggered by the September 2024 departure of all three information commissioners, following the July uprising and the assumption of power by the interim government. The departure of the commissioners made the Information Commission of Bangladesh virtually dysfunctional.
The first development was the release of draft amendment to the RTI Act, 2009 by the information ministry last month, seeking inputs from citizens for further improvement to the law. The draft was based on the recommendations of Public Administration Reform Commission, one of several such commissions set up by the interim government to strengthen and safeguard democracy. It raised hope that the government was at last focusing on the beleaguered RTI Act, which is considered to be the most effective instrument for citizens to monitor the work of government bodies.
