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Daily Star, November 15, 2019
RTI law: Bridging the gap between promise and practice
Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz
The euphoria accompanying the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War era late last century was followed by an upsurge of democracy in the new republics and a resurgence in nominal democracies. One manifestation of this was the global rush to adopt the Right to Information (RTI) or Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. Out of around 130 countries which have enacted the law so far, a large majority did so in the last three decades. Bangladesh adopted it in 2009. Read More.

Daily Star, October 15, 2019
The growing maturity of RTI use in Bangladesh
Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz
Last month, the International Right to Know Day was an occasion for the champions of the Right to Information (RTI) Act in Bangladesh to show how the law helps to strengthen democracy and advance good governance.
Unlike earlier years, the discussions and exchanges this year were more upbeat and hopeful about the future of the law in the country. Despite the hurdles citizens face to use the law, many have been motivated by the painstaking efforts of NGOs to do so to address and redress issues of public concern.

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Daily Star, September 15, 2019
RTI: How do we compare with the rest of the world?
Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz
With some 130 countries around the world having adopted Right to Information (RTI) laws, we now know a great deal about how citizens use this law in a variety of social, political and economic contexts—in as rich a variety of ways as there are cultures and peoples on this planet.
In the older democracies, where RTI and similar laws have been around for a while, studies show that the focus of the law has now shifted to online availability of most such information.

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Daily Star, August 16, 2019
Is RTI Act becoming popular in Bangladesh?
Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz
You are really doing a great job,” said the Designated Officer (DO) of the District Social Welfare Office of Dinajpur. He was talking to a member of the public who had gone to his office to submit a Right to Information (RTI) request. “We, government servants,” he continued, “are paid from the public fund, so we must be accountable to the people. You should spread the word about people’s right to information all over the country. Most people do not know what this law is and how to use it.”
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