'Not much information sought'

The volume of information sought from Information Commission has gradually declined over its five years of existence.

‘Information trapped in fear’

'Still a challenge'

'Can't understand reluctance to seek information'

‘Bureaucrats must inform public’

Chief Information Commissioner Mohammed Farooq at a discussion at bdnews24.com office on Saturday said they provided about 97 percent of information sought by the people in the last five years.

Of the 61,000 requests in the last five years, 25,410 were received in the first year alone.

“We could provide 96.91 percent of the information ,” he said.

Bangladesh’s first internet newspaper co-hosted the discussion to evaluate the performance of the Information Commission.

Kaspersky Lab supported the event.

The Right to Information Ordinance was passed under the military-backed caretaker regime in October 2008.

After the Awami League government took office, it passed the Right to Information Act on March 29, 2009. The commission was formed on July 1.

Commission officials, politicians, civil society members and citizens who seek information under the Act took part at the discussion broadcast live on bdnews24.com and Ekattor TV.

CIC Farooq said they had been able to form five separate units in five years that he said was “a success” of the Commission.

He detailed a number of steps they had taken to make people aware of the Right to Information Act that had even earned kudos abroad.

“It’s a public law” and people can apply (refer to it) to seek information from the government officials.

He said the government had expedited the process of getting information by enacting the law.

“It took two years to give the Commission a shape. In fact, we have only got three years to work,” he said.

bdnews24.com Editor-in-Chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi moderated the discussion.