End the deadlock at the Information Commission

Despite the formation of a five-member selection committee more than two and a half months ago to appoint the chief information commissioner and information commissioners, the Information Commission is still without commissioners and therefore unable to hear complaints. According to a Prothom Alo report, around 850 complaints are now pending with the commission, up from 780 in July, while the institution is functioning mainly through routine administrative work. This prolonged vacuum is weakening a key mechanism for enforcing citizens’ right to information.

The Information Commission has been without leadership for over two years now. The vacancies began after the chief information commissioner and one commissioner resigned in September 2024, followed by the removal of another commissioner. Neither the interim government nor the BNP-led government appointed replacements, leaving complaints unresolved and key activities stalled. Under the Right to Information Act, 2009, citizens can complain to the Information Commission when they are denied information, receive incomplete or misleading information, or do not receive a satisfactory response to an information request. The commission has the authority to investigate complaints, hold hearings, impose fines, and order compensation where appropriate. Without commissioners to exercise these powers, a crucial legal avenue for citizens has been closed.

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Moreover, training on the right to information, public awareness programmes and publications have also largely stopped. The institution is therefore failing to resolve complaints while also being unable to carry out important activities that help citizens understand and exercise their right to information. According to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, applications have been collected and are now being scrutinised. In August, the prime minister’s information and broadcasting adviser also said an independent Information Commission would be formed within a month. That deadline has passed, but the commission has yet to be formed.

Citizens have already waited long enough. The government must now provide a clear timeline for completing the appointment process. The selection process should be transparent, with clear criteria for assessing candidates and adequate public information about the process. The commissioners must also be qualified, impartial, and committed to upholding the law without partisan influence. Access to information is essential in a democracy, and citizens can properly exercise this right only when the Information Commission is functioning effectively.