While awaiting the completion of a government-initiated process to select the three information commissioners, following a prolonged vacancy that this column has lamented time and again, it may be useful to revisit the enduring value of right to information (RTI) in strengthening democratic governance.

It may sound like a broken gramophone record for us to continue lamenting the absence of the chief information commissioner and two information commissioners in Bangladesh since September 2024, following the political transition after the July uprising.

As the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2009 remains effectively dormant in Bangladesh, RTI advocates must now rely on the new government’s resolve to operationalise it.

Restoring the Information Commission is not optional; it is a constitutional duty.

There seem to be differences in response depending on the authorities’ location.

The interim government should encourage all public officials to respond diligently to the citizens’ RTI requests.

The success of the RTI Act anywhere in the world largely depends on the determination and commitment of the citizens to put it to practical use.

The RTI Act is a crucial tool for promoting transparency and accountability in Bangladesh.

The use of the RTI Act is not merely to focus on government work, but to operationalise good governance too.

The eruption of hostility surrounding the submission of a simple RTI request to a public official was uncalled for

The RTI law has been kept alive over the years largely through the efforts of a few dedicated NGOs and die-hard RTI activists.

In the last few months, we have received some very encouraging feedback from users of the RTI law about the Information Commission's work.

Bangladesh’s High Court has asked the authorities of a public university to allow pregnant and married female students to remain in the dormitories for the time being

Through the RTI Commission of Sri Lanka, citizens could weight in on matters impacting the nation.

To the tremendous potential of the RTI Act, there are a handful of RTI activists and enthusiasts in Bangladesh who persevere to take the law forward with their zeal and determination.

Can public officials ever become transparent in their work and feel accountable to citizens?

Citizens’ right to monitor, probe and question the work of their governments is essential for democracy.

International observers who follow global trends on the progress of transparency and accountability instruments, such as Right to Information (RTI) or Freedom of Information (FOI), which have witnessed phenomenal growth in the last three decades, are often asked if the laws have fared well in their new abodes with varying levels of democratisation.

In the days before May 25, email users all over the world were bombarded with a barrage of electronic messages updating them on something called the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Observers claim that the number of messages dispatched by businesses throughout the world on the occasion might have surpassed those sent during Christmas or New Year. On that day, Europe became subject to the GDPR, a law aimed primarily at bringing outdated personal data laws across EU up to speed with the fast-moving digital era. GDPR has an impact far beyond Europe.

In the days to come, it is the work of the IC that will be under particular focus of international scrutiny, as it is easier to assess its performance against the provisions of the RTI law and emerging international standards.