Editorial
As the new CIC takes charge …
Implementation of RTI should be speeded up
Muhammad Zamir is poised to take over as chief information commissioner (CIC). We take this opportunity to offer our congratulations to him. We believe that a man of his background, with his dynamism and his grasp of the issues that matter, will be able to infuse energy and the sense of purpose that are so much needed for the Information Commission to become a vibrant body. The new CIC should make it his clear objective to have the provisions of the Right to Information Act translated into reality, for that will not only add to the quality of democratic politics but will also enhance the degree of the political consciousness of the people. We wish him the best in his new endeavour.
There is little question that the Right to Information Act has been a major achievement for the people of Bangladesh. And with that the establishment of the Information Commission has rightly been regarded as a positive step. The public expectation is that the commission will be able to establish its credentials as a powerful body which can satisfy public demands for information on subjects of individual and collective concern. However, before such a goal can be attained, it is vital that the institutional preparations so necessary for the commission to get going in that full sense of the meaning are in place. There are already the complaints being heard about the slow pace in the making of necessary rules and regulations regarding the operation and implementation of the RTI. We cannot but note that the dynamism and enthusiasm which went into the formulation of the RTI in these past many months somehow appear to have declined into something of indifference. That is surely not what we had looked forward to. And one surely cannot find fault with those whose energetic campaign for the RTI led to the measure finally being adopted officially. If after all this, implementation of the act doesn't move apace, the onus will be on the administration to set matters right.
That will mean quite a few important steps being taken. In the first place, the rules and regulations relating to an implementation of the RTI must be firmly in place and without further loss of time. In the second, a focused approach must be taken on publicising the RTI, with all its provisions carefully and fully explained to the public through the media and other standard means of dissemination. All of this presupposes the thought that those who will be providing the public with information will be fully trained to do their job. Beyond that, it will be their responsibility, in these coming weeks and months, to inspire and educate citizens in the matter of a demand for information. It will be pointless to have an RTI without the people of the country being made aware of the rights they are actually entitled to under the act. The bottomline here is that for the RTI to have an impact on national life, capacity building is of the essence. Everything else will follow from that.
We understand that the new CIC will be in charge of the Information Commission for the next two years. That should be time enough for him to create a good legacy and working rhythm for the RTI commission.
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