Remove flaws in right to info act
Meetings in Gaibandha, Patuakhali suggest amendments
The right to information act should be made 'flawless' before its enactment if it is meant to benefit people instead of serving selfish interests of some quarters.
Expressing the opinion, speakers at discussions on draft right to information act at Gaibandha and Patuakhali yesterday said media should be served information free of cost while people should get required information without any harassment.
Our Gaibandha correspondent reports: Several clauses in the draft right to information act should be removed or changed to ensure free flow of information, speakers said at a view exchange meeting at Gaibandha Press Club.
Mass-line Media Centre (MMC) and Community Development Library jointly organised the meeting where people's representatives, teachers, women leaders and journalists attended.
Representatives from the journalist community and social reformers should be included in the Information Commission and it should be decentralised up to the district level, they said.
An information pool should be set up at all government departments to facilitate people get information as per requirement, the speakers said.
Thanking the present government for taking initiative in this regard, they said it was actually the responsibility of democratic governments to enact right to information law.
The clauses that are against public interest should be removed before enactment of the draft law, they said.
Transparency in all the fields is an essential factor for ensuring free flow of information, which should be established in government and private sectors as well, they added.
Superintendent of Police Mollah Nazrul Islam attended as chief guest at the meeting presided over by local MMC representative Rezaul Hoque.
Gobinda Lal Das, president Gaibandha Press Club, Secretary Abu Zafar Sabu, Ziaul Hafiz, Wasiur Rahman Rafel, Mihir Ghosh, Mostaq Ahmed Ranju, Aftab Hossain, also addressed on the occasion.
Our Patuakhali correspondent adds: Speakers at a seminar on draft right to information act said the government should make arrangement so that all classes of people get necessary information without any harassment.
The government should also deliver information to media free of cost, they told the seminar organised by Arojbagi Information Centre.
Mass-line Media Centre sponsored the seminar held at community development centre hall room.
Bureaucrats are still trying to maintain their selfish interest in the draft ordinance, they said.
The ordinance proposes provision for fine in case of non-delivery of required information but it is not sufficient, speakers said, adding that the responsible person should be given some jail sentence to prevent such act of omission.
Judicial Magistrate Riputy Kumar Biswas was the chief guest in the seminar presided over by Gazi Sahid, executive director of local NGO Amar Bangla.
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