People's right to know
Thursday, 30 September 2010
The United Nations has dedicated a day to people's right to know and that is observed on September 28 every year round the world. The spirit and intent of the day is reflected in many countries having legislation consistent with the same. The day was observed duly in Bangladesh last Tuesday. The unelected immediate past government in Bangladesh promulgated a Right to Information Ordinance. It was a happy development that the elected government that followed it, decided to retain the ordinance by passing legislation, titled the Right to Information (RTI) Act, in parliament on March 29, 2009. Thus, this country wore a feather in its cap by joining the ranks of countries with such a progressive law.
Bangladesh has long suffered from not having such a law in place that only aided most governmental institutions to cling to their culture of secrecy denying people the right to know adequately about their activities that do have often great consequences for citizens.
However, the extent of actual achievement during the one and a half years since the RTI Act is largely debatable. In the absence of vigorous follow-up activities, it is proving to be just one of those promising steps taken by the government to be frustrated for reasons of not establishing as well the mechanisms to properly enforce the provisions of this Act. The RTI Act led to the formation of a commission to make the necessary rules and regulations and establish procedures for obtaining redress under the Act. But this commission is not yet effective enough to deliver what was expected of it. It has still to be provided with sufficient funds, adequate manpower and other necessary logistics to even take on the tasks in order to be able to facilitate the implementation of the RTI Act. Thus, this legislation has largely remained in the consciousness only of a small section of the well-informed elite and is not known to most people of the country.
Then again, the people who are aware of its existence would not be able to make any use of it until the rules, apparatuses and processes for taking recourse to it, are well laid. As for the general people who are little conscious of their rights, they can be only expected to resort to using the new legislation after intense publicity is conducted, first, for them to know that it exists and , more significantly, they are specifically showed the ways to actually utilizing it for their benefits. For such matters, that government stalwarts, at least in key positions, are truly keen to help the enforcement of this legislation. That indication is unfortunately yet to come. The recent media reports about what the Health Adviser to the Prime Minister said the other day do give rather a contrary signal.
On its part, the media can play a major role in implementing the law in a pro-poor approach. And the media personnel would themselves have to demonstrate their professional responsibility to perform this role to the credence of the people. RTI can play an important role in ensuring transparency and accountability. It is possible to ensure proper use of public funds and curb corruption in a more efficient way if the people's access to information can be exercised to help promote the goals of transparency and accountability. And the media should also be transparent to the full extent for winning the trust and confidence of all concerned - readers, viewers and listeners. Meanwhile, the policymakers must have the political will to implement the RTI Act in an effective way and tackle the operational challenges to the law.
Bangladesh has long suffered from not having such a law in place that only aided most governmental institutions to cling to their culture of secrecy denying people the right to know adequately about their activities that do have often great consequences for citizens.
However, the extent of actual achievement during the one and a half years since the RTI Act is largely debatable. In the absence of vigorous follow-up activities, it is proving to be just one of those promising steps taken by the government to be frustrated for reasons of not establishing as well the mechanisms to properly enforce the provisions of this Act. The RTI Act led to the formation of a commission to make the necessary rules and regulations and establish procedures for obtaining redress under the Act. But this commission is not yet effective enough to deliver what was expected of it. It has still to be provided with sufficient funds, adequate manpower and other necessary logistics to even take on the tasks in order to be able to facilitate the implementation of the RTI Act. Thus, this legislation has largely remained in the consciousness only of a small section of the well-informed elite and is not known to most people of the country.
Then again, the people who are aware of its existence would not be able to make any use of it until the rules, apparatuses and processes for taking recourse to it, are well laid. As for the general people who are little conscious of their rights, they can be only expected to resort to using the new legislation after intense publicity is conducted, first, for them to know that it exists and , more significantly, they are specifically showed the ways to actually utilizing it for their benefits. For such matters, that government stalwarts, at least in key positions, are truly keen to help the enforcement of this legislation. That indication is unfortunately yet to come. The recent media reports about what the Health Adviser to the Prime Minister said the other day do give rather a contrary signal.
On its part, the media can play a major role in implementing the law in a pro-poor approach. And the media personnel would themselves have to demonstrate their professional responsibility to perform this role to the credence of the people. RTI can play an important role in ensuring transparency and accountability. It is possible to ensure proper use of public funds and curb corruption in a more efficient way if the people's access to information can be exercised to help promote the goals of transparency and accountability. And the media should also be transparent to the full extent for winning the trust and confidence of all concerned - readers, viewers and listeners. Meanwhile, the policymakers must have the political will to implement the RTI Act in an effective way and tackle the operational challenges to the law.