Civil society leaders have demanded that the government include public’s access to information and government data in its proposal over the sustainable development goals (SDGs)
They made the call at a discussion jointly organised by London-based human rights organisation ARTICLE 19, The Daily Star and EquityBD, a network of rights-based NGOs in Bangladesh.
“The freedom to voice out views and participate at the decision making level without fear and the need for access to information and independent media have been recognised as essential components of the SDGs,” said Tahmina Rahman, Country Director at ARTICLE 19.
The speakers mentioned that the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) would be replaced by Sustainable Development Goals by 2015. Initial recommendations made by the Bangladeshi government were discussed in the United Nations General Assembly held in September in 2013.
Foreign Ministry Director General Saida Muna Tasneem said: “The Bangladesh government has been invited to contribute in development of the new goals at top rank meetings of states because of its previous successes in implementing the MDGs. The government is open to strengthening articulations on access, governance and oversight.”
Cabinet Division Additional Secretary Nazrul Islam said the government had acknowledged that more work needed to be done to implement the RTI effectively.
Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said the country had lost 13.6 % of budget and 2.4 % of GDP because of corruption, this percentage could be minimised had the government committed to sincere implementation of RTI.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of EquityBD said: “Disclosure of information regarding public expenditure such as those on defense and development, are critical to discussions of equity and good governance”.
Information Commissioner Professor Sadeka Halim, Manusher Jonno Foundation Executive Director Saheen Anam, Action Aid Director Asgar Ali Sabri, Monisha Biswas of Oxfam, and former parliamentarian Dr Akram Hossain and Faruque Ahmed also participated in the discussion.
