BSS, Dhaka :
Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said on Tuesday that the government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was committed to institutionalization of democracy and that the passage of the Right to Information (RTI) Bill in the early days of the administration was an eloquent testimony to it.
“Our commitment to the free flow of information is not only rhetorical but we mean business,” the minister explained.
Inu was speaking at a press conference at the Press Information Department (PID) auditorium prior to the International Right to Information Day that would be celebrated today. The conference was organised by the Information Commission.
The minister further said democracy was facing three challenges–militancy, corruption and hunger for power. “The RTI was an antidote to all three,” he said.
“It empowers people, including journalists, for access to information from all organisations in the country be it private or public,” he said.
However, the minister added, “It is sad but true that the poor and marginalized were yet to use it optimally for their betterment.” He hoped that through the sensitization programmes undertaken more people would use the window of opportunity that RTI provided.
Chief Information Commissioner Dr Golam Rahman elaborated on the work of the Information Commission and its achievements since its inception. He also said that it was not merely a tool for journalists but a powerful weapon of the general masses, as well.
Citing the number of requests for information that came their way, Rahman said that most were from non-journalists. He also said more than 96 per cent responded while the rest were in the pipe-line.
Information Secretary Mortuza Ahmed and Principal Information Officer (PIO) AK Shamim Chowdhury were present, among others, at the conference.
Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said on Tuesday that the government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was committed to institutionalization of democracy and that the passage of the Right to Information (RTI) Bill in the early days of the administration was an eloquent testimony to it.
“Our commitment to the free flow of information is not only rhetorical but we mean business,” the minister explained.
Inu was speaking at a press conference at the Press Information Department (PID) auditorium prior to the International Right to Information Day that would be celebrated today. The conference was organised by the Information Commission.
The minister further said democracy was facing three challenges–militancy, corruption and hunger for power. “The RTI was an antidote to all three,” he said.
“It empowers people, including journalists, for access to information from all organisations in the country be it private or public,” he said.
However, the minister added, “It is sad but true that the poor and marginalized were yet to use it optimally for their betterment.” He hoped that through the sensitization programmes undertaken more people would use the window of opportunity that RTI provided.
Chief Information Commissioner Dr Golam Rahman elaborated on the work of the Information Commission and its achievements since its inception. He also said that it was not merely a tool for journalists but a powerful weapon of the general masses, as well.
Citing the number of requests for information that came their way, Rahman said that most were from non-journalists. He also said more than 96 per cent responded while the rest were in the pipe-line.
Information Secretary Mortuza Ahmed and Principal Information Officer (PIO) AK Shamim Chowdhury were present, among others, at the conference.
