Intensify actions to ensure people’s right to info

Right to Information Forum Bangladesh yesterday called upon the government to accelerate actions at every levels involving all stakeholders to fulfil the true spirit of the RTI Act 2009 for improving governance situation in the country.

In a statement, marking the Right to Know Day today, which will also be observed globally as International Day for Universal Access to Information, RTI Forum said the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated that right to information strengthens access to health, education, ensure justice and contribute towards reducing inequalities.

"During the ongoing pandemic, it was seen that the relationship between government and the people has been badly affected due to lack of interaction. The RTI Act can help the government reduce citizen's concerns about their actions, empower citizens and hold duty-bearers accountable in times of crisis," reads the statement.

Appreciating progress made so far in the implementation of the RTI Act 2009, RTI Forum emphasised that these achievements need to be sustained and scaled-up.

The forum urged the government to review various targets set in the RTI Implementation Strategy and draw up revised plans, in the light of findings of RTI Survey 2019, and global indicators under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). It also called upon the Information Commission to play a greater role to increase public awareness about the law and urged the media -- both print and electronic -- to give attention to this act.

RTI Forum is a coalition of institutions and individuals that played a pivotal role in the enactment of right to information law in 2009 and since then have been supporting the government in its implementation and promotion.