The Business Standard: Bangladesh: Monday,
January 26, 2026.
More than 15 years after the enactment of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2009, its promise remains only partially fulfilled, with low public awareness and prolonged delays in accessing information continuing to undermine its effectiveness, the Right to Information (RTI) Forum has said.
In a statement
issued by its convenor Shaheen Anam today (25 January), the Forum said
structural weaknesses and procedural bottlenecks have limited the act's impact,
making amendments essential to expand its use and ensure meaningful access to
information.
As the government moves forward with the amendment process, the Forum has urged the adviser to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to ensure that several urgent recommendations are incorporated into the ordinance.
Among the key proposals is expanding the definition of "information" to explicitly include note sheets, arguing that these documents are critical for understanding who made decisions, how they were taken, and the roles played by individual officials. The Forum said note sheets should be included under Section 2(f) of the Act.
The Forum has also called for broadening the scope of authorities covered by the law. It proposed bringing government, autonomous and local government bodies explicitly within the act's ambit, alongside statutory institutions. In addition, it recommended extending the law to private entities that perform government work under contract, licence, permit or approval, as well as political parties registered with the Election Commission.
On institutional reform, the Forum suggested formally adding "Bangladesh" to the name of the Information Commission under Section 11(1) and introducing a new provision requiring that vacancies in the posts of Chief Information Commissioner or Information Commissioners be filled within a maximum of 45 days.
To strengthen the independence of the commission, the Forum proposed aligning the rank, remuneration and benefits of the chief information commissioner and information commissioners with those of judges of the Appellate Division and the High Court Division, in line with other constitutional bodies such as the National Human Rights Commission.
The Forum also recommended amending the penalty provisions under Section 27 to enhance accountability, particularly in cases where responsible or appellate officers refuse to accept information requests or appeals without reasonable cause.
While welcoming the move to amend the law through an ordinance, the Forum said a comprehensive amendment incorporating the remaining proposals is necessary to ensure effective implementation of the RTI Act and to achieve its original objective of guaranteeing citizens' right to information.
More than 15 years after the enactment of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2009, its promise remains only partially fulfilled, with low public awareness and prolonged delays in accessing information continuing to undermine its effectiveness, the Right to Information (RTI) Forum has said.
As the government moves forward with the amendment process, the Forum has urged the adviser to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to ensure that several urgent recommendations are incorporated into the ordinance.
Among the key proposals is expanding the definition of "information" to explicitly include note sheets, arguing that these documents are critical for understanding who made decisions, how they were taken, and the roles played by individual officials. The Forum said note sheets should be included under Section 2(f) of the Act.
The Forum has also called for broadening the scope of authorities covered by the law. It proposed bringing government, autonomous and local government bodies explicitly within the act's ambit, alongside statutory institutions. In addition, it recommended extending the law to private entities that perform government work under contract, licence, permit or approval, as well as political parties registered with the Election Commission.
On institutional reform, the Forum suggested formally adding "Bangladesh" to the name of the Information Commission under Section 11(1) and introducing a new provision requiring that vacancies in the posts of Chief Information Commissioner or Information Commissioners be filled within a maximum of 45 days.
To strengthen the independence of the commission, the Forum proposed aligning the rank, remuneration and benefits of the chief information commissioner and information commissioners with those of judges of the Appellate Division and the High Court Division, in line with other constitutional bodies such as the National Human Rights Commission.
The Forum also recommended amending the penalty provisions under Section 27 to enhance accountability, particularly in cases where responsible or appellate officers refuse to accept information requests or appeals without reasonable cause.
While welcoming the move to amend the law through an ordinance, the Forum said a comprehensive amendment incorporating the remaining proposals is necessary to ensure effective implementation of the RTI Act and to achieve its original objective of guaranteeing citizens' right to information.
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