The Bangladesh Information Commission Feb. 15 held its first hearings on cases, one of many signs of activity under the 2009 law.
The Information Commission completed hearings on five cases under the chairmanship of Chief Information Commissioner Muhammed Zamir.
Promotion efforts are under way. In January, Grameenphone signed a memorandum of understanding with the Information Commission to disseminate public awareness messages under the Right to Information Act to the 70 million mobile clientele, along with other publicity efforts.
Grameenphone Chief Executive Officer Oddvar Hesjedal said the effort is part of the company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility. “We are happy to assist the commission in ensuring free flow of information consistent with RTIA. We also hope this initiative will help government’s plan to ensure good governance in every level,” he said.
Earlier in January, Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad urged use of the RTIA, and said that failures by government agencies to designate compliance officers and supply adequate equipment would be addressed.
“In the countries, especially in Europe, corruption is less because RTI act is implemented there,” he said at a seminar.
Chief Information Commissioner Zamir said a by-law is being prepared specifying record-keeping procedures and
Also new is the Bangladesh Information Commission website: http://www.infocom.gov.bd/ It is in Bangla.
Some of the developments abobe were reported in the blog Right to Information -CRTI
Filed under: What's New