Shamsul Bari

The writer is the Chairman of Research Initiatives, Bangladesh (RIB) and a former Director of UNHCR.

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
September 16, 2016
September 16, 2016

The right to ask for information and the obligation to provide it

Arunendu works for the Rangamati Hill District Council in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh. He is known for his dedication and commitment to public service.

November 9, 2015
November 9, 2015

A PERSONAL FOOTNOTE

A year ago today, the world celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. A small part of that history is my personal history...

August 16, 2015
August 16, 2015

Are political parties “Public Authority”?

Afrequently asked question about RTI law relates to the meaning of the term “authority”. As the Act empowers citizens to query public authorities on matters that concern or aggrieve them, there is an obvious need to understand the concept of authority under the Act.

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