Bangladesh promulgates right to information By Anisur Rahman

Dhaka, Oct 24 (PTI) The military backed regime of
Bangladesh has promulgated Right to Information (R.T.I.)
Ordinance, taking a cue from similar laws in different
countries including India.

A number of security and intelligence agencies have
been kept out of its purview. However, if the information
related to their corruption and human rights violation is
demanded, they are obligated to provide it in 30 days under
the R.T.I. It has restricted people's access to information
classified under at least 20 categories.

R.T.I. came into effect with the government publishing
a gazette notification late Monday asking authorities
concerned to appoint a responsible officer within 60 days of
the promulgation of the law at each information delivery unit.

People will have to wait 90 working days before they
can use the law to get information from all public, autonomous
and statutory organisations and other private institutions run
on government or foreign funding.

According to an official statement issued Monday night
an information commission would be formed in next 90 days to
oversee execution of the law and resolve public complaints
regarding access to information.

The agencies which would remain out of the
jurisdiction of the law are National Security Intelligence
(N.S.I.), Directorate General of Forces Intelligence
(D.G.F.I.), Defence Intelligence Unit and Criminal
Investigation Department (C.I.D.) of police.

Elite V.V.I.P. protection unit Special Security Force
(S.S.F.), intelligence cell of National Board of Revenue
(N.B.R.), Special Branch of Police and intelligence unit of
elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (R.A.B.) would also be
kept out of its purview.

The ordinance classifies information which may pose
threat to the security, integrity and sovereignty of
Bangladesh, obstruct law enforcement or incite any offence,
endanger public security or impede due judicial process of a
pending case.

The ordinance also classifies information that may
effect any criminal investigation, be prejudicial to the
special rights of the Parliament, documents including
summaries to be placed before the cabinet, or the council of
advisers and information relating to discussions and
decisions of such meetings.

The people seeking public information will need to
apply in writing or in prescribed forms or by e-mail to the
designated officers by paying a reasonable amount of fee to be
set for specific information.

The information ministry will form a five-member
selection committee with a Supreme Court judge to recommend
names for the proposed information commission, which will have
a chief information commissioner and two commissioners, at
least one of them being a woman.

The chief justice will nominate the judge while the
parliamentary speaker would nominate a member each from the
treasury bench and the opposition bench to be members of the
selection committee.

The government would nominate a representative of
eminent citizens for the selection committee while the top
bureaucrat or the cabinet secretary would be a member of the
committee by virtue of his official position.

The information commission will lay down guidelines to
be followed by the authorities for publication and publicity
of information and obtaining information. PTI AR
DEP