Persistent delay in restoring the Information Commission is unacceptable
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.
