New Age:
Dhaka: Saturday, September 29, 2018.
Speakers,
while addressing a press briefing marking International Information Rights Day,
have said that establishing the rule of law, fundamental human rights and
ensuring justice and other socio-political and economic rights are possible by
implementing the Right to Information Act 2009.
As
a universal act it ensured equal rights for people of all walks of life, they
said while addressing a press conference, organised by the Information
Commission at National Press Club in Dhaka on Friday.
This
year the day is being celebrated with the theme Good Laws and Practices for
Open Societies: Powering Sustainable Development with Access to Information.
Chief
Information commissioner Martuza Ahmed presided over the programme where
liberation war minister AKM Mozammel Haque was present as chief guest.
‘The
act is a weapon for people and it reflects the main sense of our Liberation War
and the constitution,’ Mozammel Hauque said.
Mentioning
the section 4 of the act, Martuza Ahmed said, ‘The unique feature of the act is
usually the authorities concerned have
power over people in other acts; but people have power over the authorities
concerned in the information rights act.’
Section
4 of the Rights to Information Act 2009 stipulates, ‘Subject to the provisions
of this Act, every citizen shall have the right to information from the
authority, and the authority shall, on demand from a citizen, be bound to
provide him with the information.’
Here
people got the legal right to receive information, he said.
The
chief information commissioner said it was possible to conduct development
activities for backward people of the society through implementing the act.
Among
others, information commissioners Nepal Chandra Sarkar, and Suraiya Begum,
information ministry additional secretary Md Abual Hossain, information
commission additional secretary Md Muhibul Hossain and additional chief
information officer Fazle Rabbi attended the programme.