Sheikh Ali Ahmad from Narayanganj spent a year running after a single piece of information.
Published : 15 Jun 2014, 09:29 PM
While filing a case for his brother's murder, he asked an Upazila health officer whether the prime accused had been admitted to a government hospital.
He had to spend a year and take the issue up with the Information Commission.
Despite the delay, Ahmad was happy that he got the information, but said he was enraged to learn that the negligent health officer had been fined only Tk 1,000.
Worse, that officer has been promoted to a deputy director in the health directorate.
Ahmad attended a discussion on, The Information Commission: Five years on, Saturday at the bdnews24.com office where Chief Information Commissioner Mohammad Farooq and the other commissioners were present.
Former law minister Abdul Matin Khasru, activist Khushi Kabir, Research Initiatives Bangladesh chief Meghna Guhathakurta, Article 19 Director for Bangladesh and South Asia Tahmina Rahman were in attendance, among others.
Ahmad said in 2011 he had asked the then Upazila health officer in Araihajar, Narayanganj whether Mamun, the prime accused in the brother's murder, had been admitted to the Araihajar Hospital from April 7 to 9 that year.
“That officer kept me waiting for four months. Then I had to go through the commission's proceedings. In the end it took me eight months to get that piece of information,” he said.
The delay pushed back the charge framing in his case by four years, Ahmad said.
“I think there's reluctance among the designated officers in giving information. My own experience shows how much an ordinary citizen can suffer when trying to get information,” he added.
“I had to fight a long battle. How many people are willing to go through that?”
Information Commissioner Md Abu Taher said the commission had taken Ahmad's issue very seriously from the beginning.
“The designated officer was fined Tk 1,000 for not giving the information.”
Ahmad said he felt angered by the meagre fine and the officer's promotion later on.