Editorial
Free flow of information
Key to good governance
The International Right to Know Day was marked yesterday by two roundtables held in the city, one titled 'Good Governance and Right to Information and the other on the theme 'Right to Information in establishing democracy and rule of law'. Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), Ain O Shalish Kendra, BNNRC, D-Net, Mass-line Media Centre (MMC) and Manusher Jonno Foundation jointly organised the first discussion meet. And the second was organised by Campaign on Citizens' Right to Information, as part of their three-day programme marking the Right to Information Day.
Experts underscored very convincingly the need for free flow of information and right to know as fundamental to establishing transparency and rule of law which good governance is all about. The ACC Chairman Lt Gen Retd Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury regarded "free flow of information as a strong weapon in curbing corruption". Sultana Kamal, a former adviser to caretaker government, emphasised that we couldn't expect responsibility from an uninformed society and that good governance, responsibility and accountability are nurtured by free flow of information.
Access to information facilitates "openness and people's participation in decision making process" which is rock-bed of participatory democracy.
A common demand issued from both the roundtables which is that the existing laws, including the archaic Official Secrets Act, that contradict access to information must be amended. The culture of 'secrecy and privacy' must yield place to free flow of information.
Dr Sarwar Murshid Khan said "we want the government to frame the right to information act soon and ensure that people have access to information from the state and private sectors when they demand it." Basically, the emphasis is commonly laid on enactment of a right to information law.
There is a consensus for it, and for all we know, the government is favourably disposed towards a right to information act. There is a draft information bill which must be thoroughly gone into and the best practices must be followed to enact one.
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