RTI Act

Evaluation on implementation stressed

1 November 2011, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Chief Information Commissioner Muhammad Zamir speaks at a consultation organised by Article 19 Bangladesh at Cirdap auditorium in the city yesterday. On his right is Tahmina Rahman and on his left is Dr Iftekharuzzaman. Photo: STAR

The best way to judge peoples access to information is to evaluate the status of implementation of the right to information (RTI) act, observe speakers at a consultation meeting yesterday. “Enforcement of law is the biggest challenge as we have cultural, institutional and historical causes to obstruct the free flow of information,” said Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman. Quoting the global index of RTI act, published on the occasion of the information day this year, he mentioned that Bangladesh has got 12th position among the 89 countries regarding the status of the RTI act leaving behind many developed countries such as Sweden. “But the index does not necessarily mean the condition relating to free flow of information is better in Bangladesh. We have to study the implementation of the law,” he added. The consultation titled “Global Right to Information Index,” organised by Article 19 Bangladesh, an international organisation working with RTI act, was held at Cirdap in the city. The programme was organised to consult the indicators adopted to analyse access of people to information in the countries where the RTI act exists. The Article 19, an international organization to work with RTI act, is planning to launch a global right to information index. Chief Information Commissioner Muhammad Zamir, Dhaka university teacher Prof Asif Nazrul, Information ministry deputy secretary Abul Hossain and Article 19 country director Tahmina Rahman also spoke.