Transparency must guide appointments at the Information Commission

Following the July uprising and the subsequent resignation and termination of the three commissioners of the Information Commission, this statutory body has remained in a state of operational paralysis for almost two years now. As a result, hundreds of aggrieved citizens who fail to access information from public institutions have nowhere to file their complaints and obtain a resolution. Under such circumstances, the BNP government’s move to create a committee to appoint information commissioners, although delayed, is one in the right direction.

However, the government can claim little credit for this action, which came five months after it took office. The pledge to reform all constitutional and statutory bodies and to reinstate transparency, accountability, and credibility in those bodies is part of BNP’s 31-point plan. Therefore, forming a five-member committee to search for and appoint information commissioners to revive an institution that strengthens democracy is not a favour nor an extraordinary achievement; it is a duty that has been delayed for quite a while. Of course, the BNP cannot be blamed alone for allowing the commission to remain without commissioners for so long, which resulted in the accumulation of 780 complaints awaiting resolution. The interim government’s inaction played a large part in rendering the Information Commission almost non-functional.

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Of course, citizens could continue to demand necessary information using the Right to Information Act, 2009, even in the absence of the commissioners. However, in instances where they were denied access, they had nowhere to lodge complaints for the last 22 months. According to officials of the commission, other primary functions, including imparting training on information rights and running awareness campaigns, also came to a halt over the last 22 months.

The importance of the right to information in a democracy can hardly be overstated. And to ensure that citizens can exercise this right properly, the existence of a functional Information Commission is imperative. However, it must be ensured that such a vital institution remains free from partisan influence. That is why the current phase of selection and appointment of the commissioners is crucial. The government must ensure that qualified persons are chosen and the process remains transparent.

There have hardly been any instances of our statutory bodies, such as the National Human Rights Commission, the Information Commission, and the Anti-Corruption Commission, functioning effectively with full independence and empowerment. Instead, after the uprising, these three institutions at times remained leaderless for a prolonged period. We hope the BNP government will not squander the chance to correct the course by allowing these institutions to revert to their previous state of ineffectiveness and partisanship.