The Information Commission Bangladesh will operate with full impartiality and independence, maintaining a neutral position without favouring the government, any individual or any group, Chief Information Commissioner Nahreen Islam Khan has said.
She said the Commission would work strictly in accordance with the law to uphold people’s right to access information, reads a press release.
She made the remarks at a press briefing held at the Conference Room of the Information Commission Bangladesh at 11am on Thursday where she presented the newly constituted Commission’s 100-day roadmap.
The Chief Information Commissioner said the Commission had undertaken several initiatives to ensure the effective implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2009, and protect people’s right to information.
As part of the initiatives, a week-long RTI Fair will be organised at three public and four private universities in Dhaka towards the end of this month.
The programme aims to raise students’ awareness of their right to information and encourage them to exercise it through lawful means.
The Commission also plans to organise smaller-scale RTI fairs at different schools with support from NGOs.
Identifying the disposal of long-pending complaints as a priority, she said hearings on 917 complaints accumulated over the past two years would begin on 16 November. The Commission has received more than 200 additional complaints since the new members assumed office. Steps will be taken to dispose of the complaints in phases.
She said journalists, content creators and politicians would be included in training programmes to improve their awareness and understanding of the right to information. The initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of people from different professions and backgrounds to ensure the lawful use of information, its responsible dissemination and greater accountability.
The Commission will also monitor whether government, semi-government and foreign-funded organisations publish their budgets and other required information on their respective websites. Necessary measures, including issuing notices to the concerned organisations where required, will be taken to ensure compliance.
Letters have also been sent to universities encouraging them to formulate information disclosure policies, following the example of the University of Rajshahi.
Speaking at the briefing, Information Commissioner Mahfuzur Rahman said the media was one of the key stakeholders of the Information Commission in protecting people’s right to information.
He said coordinated efforts between the media and the Commission could create greater opportunities to promote transparency and accountability in society and public administration.
Describing information as one of the most powerful resources of the present era, he said artificial intelligence (AI) had created new opportunities for the free flow of information and democratic practices. At the same time, it had increased the risks of misinformation, disinformation, distortion and the spread of misleading content.
Against this backdrop, the media must play a more responsible role in disseminating objective, reliable and verified information. Ensuring the accuracy and credibility of information is as important as safeguarding its free flow, he added.
He said journalists could seek assistance from the Information Commission in preparing investigative reports. If they faced obstacles in collecting information, they could invoke the provisions of the Right to Information Act to obtain the information they needed.
He also said the newly constituted Commission aimed to play a significant role in ensuring people’s access to information through the effective implementation of the Right to Information Act.
The new Commission was constituted on 17 October and assumed office on 18 October. After taking office, it formulated a roadmap outlining priority activities for its first 100 days.
Information Commissioner Khan Mohammad Abul Hossain said freedom of expression was one of the fundamental prerequisites for the development of democracy, while the right to know was an integral part of that freedom.
He observed that the absence of an Information Commission for nearly two years had resulted in a backlog of complaints and delays in various activities.
Although the Right to Information Act was enacted 17 years ago, public awareness of the Commission and the right to information remained inadequate. He stressed the need for the Commission and the media to work together to raise public awareness.
He also noted that, for the first time in the Commission’s 17-year history, a press briefing was being held inside its own building, marking an important milestone in its institutional activities.
Despite having an approved organisational structure of 76 posts in its 15-storey building, the Commission is currently operating with only 22 personnel.
He said the Commission had begun its work with this limited workforce, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring people’s right to access information.
