We need a ‘public interest override’ in the RTI Act
Public interest should be the yardstick when balancing citizens' right to information concerning governance and state need to safeguard sensitive information.
1w ago
Time to put the RTI Act on the right track
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.
1m ago
101 of the RTI Act for Bangladesh's youth activists
Bangladesh's RTI law is the best law to utilise in making a new Bangladesh where people's power reigns supreme in the true sense of the term.
2m ago
Right to information: Time for the sunshine law
Now is the opportunity for our youth to lead us in using existing laws to build a better country.
3m ago
RTI kept alive by rural, semi-urban citizens
In Bangladesh, those at the grassroots level with little knowledge about the intricacies of governance have found the RTI law useful and convenient.
5m ago
Citizens must use RTI Act to its full potential
The use of the RTI Act is not merely to focus on government work, but to operationalise good governance too.
5m ago
Right to information takes centre stage in Indian elections
The Indian Supreme Court's recent decision on electoral bonds underline the importance of citizens' role in exercising their right to information as watchdogs of good governance.
6m ago
Arrest and imprisonment of journalist over RTI request is ominous
The eruption of hostility surrounding the submission of a simple RTI request to a public official was uncalled for
7m ago
April 16, 2021
Revisiting the role of RTI for sustainable development
We must not forget that we cannot bring good fortune for the people if our characters do not change! By rising above nepotism, corruption and self-deception, all of us have to be engaged in self-criticism, self-restraint, and self-purification.”
March 15, 2021
RTI: All three branches of government fall within its ambit
The deleterious impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the operations of the Right to Information (RTI) Act has been much discussed in the last one year. We drew attention to it in several of our columns.
February 15, 2021
The widening range of RTI use in Bangladesh
Jamaluddin of Dinajpur had learnt at a training session that the Right to Information (RTI) Act 2009 of Bangladesh was enacted to provide a legal basis for citizens to exercise their rights as “owners of all powers of the Republic”.
January 15, 2021
How citizen engagement with RTI law is transforming lives
During the construction work of a regional highway in Dinajpur, local inhabitants were increasingly bothered by the dust it generated.
December 15, 2020
A clarion call for civil society to make the RTI Act a success
Most countries of the world have moved in the past 50 years from the age-old practice of government secrecy towards making their work largely accessible by the public through Right to Information (RTI) or Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation.
November 15, 2020
RTI in Bangladesh
Reva Rani of Taraganj Upazila of Rangpur District was determined to bring electricity to her home. But, all her efforts, including payment of “speed money”, failed.
October 15, 2020
We need an independent and neutral Information Commission
From its onset in early 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has damaged trust in governments. As governments fumbled with different approaches, citizens’ distrust of them increased in tandem. Allegations of misinformation, disinformation and lack of information polluted the atmosphere.
September 28, 2020
What should be our resolve this year?
International day for universal access to information this year comes at a time when the whole world is reeling from the greatest global crisis since World War II. The Covid-19 pandemic has spared no country over the last six months and shows no signs of abating.
September 16, 2020
International Right to Know Day must generate serious reflections by all sides
September is an important month for Right to Information (RTI) buffs all over the world. They undertake various activities during the month to commemorate the International Right to Know Day on September 28 with two key focus points.
August 17, 2020
Trust lost between governments and citizens during Covid-19 pandemic?
The relationship between governments and the people has been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in many countries.
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