Govt for ensuring transparency in all sectors: Yeafesh

Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman Sunday said the present government supports any programme that can ensure transparency in all the sectors, reports BSS.

"As part of its mission to build Digital Bangladesh, the present government has taken different initiatives to ensure people's right to get information.

National Web Portal has opened a new chapter in this regard and it can be considered as groundbreaking step in implementing Open Government Data (ODG)," he said.

The minister came up with the observations while inaugurating a three-day workshop titled "ODG Sensitisation, Gap Assessment and Strategic Planning" at the conference room of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre in the city.

Access to Information (a2i) Programme of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is jointly holding the workshop with the Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) of United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA).

ODG is a universal concept for making all the necessary government information available to the people by using the information technology, developing and expanding the civic service. Initiative has been taken to establish ODG in Bangladesh to attain the goals in our country as part of building present government's "Vision 2021".

Aimed at giving idea about ODG to all the top public and private officials, making them to realise its necessity and inspire them to use it, the organisers tried to give a sharp outline about it.

Principal Secretary to the PMO, Md Abul Kalam Azad attended the function as special guest. Cabinet Secretary (coordination and reform) Nazrul Islam, UNDP deputy country director Nick Beresford and USAID official Jason Smith attended the workshop among others.

a2i project director and Director General (admin) of PMO, Kabir Bin Anwar conducted the function, while a2i policy adviser Anir Chowdhury delivered the welcome speech.