April 17, 2026<\/p>\n
As the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2009 remains effectively dormant in Bangladesh, RTI
\nadvocates must now rely on the new government\u2019s resolve to operationalise it. The law has
\nbeen inoperative due to the absence of information commissioners since the interim
\ngovernment assumed power in August 2024 following a mass uprising\u2014a situation that appears
\nto reflect deliberate inaction intended to shield its activities from public scrutiny. While
\nprioritising pressing issues in its early days, the current government has chosen to postpone
\nconsideration of the slapdash RTI (Amendment) Ordinance, along with a few others, left behind
\nby the interim administration. While that matter must now wait, what cannot be delayed any
\nfurther is the urgent need to fill the vacant posts of information commissioners and restore the
\nlaw to full functionality.
\nThis is important not only in its own right but also because the law\u2019s effective use can help the
\ngovernment fulfil its commitments\u2014commitments in which citizens themselves have an
\nimportant role to play through the proper use of the RTI Act.<\/p>\n