Several clauses of the Right to Information Act’s (RTI) section seven – which make the providing or publication of certain types of information not mandatory – need to be reviewed and amended to make the act more mature and complete, a survey has found.
The perception survey was carried out by Management and Research Development Initiative (MRDI), while the development organisation’s Executive Director Hasibur Rahman presented the survey report in the capital’s Brac Centre auditorium yesterday.
The survey was assisted by the Information Commission and Manusher Jonno Foundation.
The survey report recommended on unchanging the constitutional restrictions regarding the release of information that may cause a threat to state security or may affect friendly relations with a foreign country, as well as keeping the clause that makes it not mandatory to release information which may endanger the life or physical safety of any person.
Speakers at the programme, however, claimed that section seven of the RTI was often misinterpreted by the authority to deny release or publication of information citing personal security reasons.
Former information commissioner Sadika Halim said authorities concerned should clarify the definition of personal security so that the misuse of RTI’s section seven could be prevented.
Abu Taher, another former information commissioner, suggested that in order to ensure people’s right to information, the authorities responsible for disseminating information need to change their behaviour.
The perception survey also recommended omitting the RTI act’s subsection (n) – which says no authority shall be bound to provide information which is liable to be published only for a certain period of time, claiming that such a clause was not included in the constitution or any international legislative documents and was in conflict with the RTI act’s section 3(a).
The survey was carried out over a three year period, with the participation of around 300 people including public servants, journalists, NGO workers, human rights activists, indigenous leaders and public representatives.
Chief Information Commissioner Mohammad Farukh said the government was working to build more awareness about the RTI act, adding that the commission would be able to take proper initiative regarding the loopholes of the law which would eventually be discovered as people practice the law more often.
He also requested all to file complaints if they find anything wrong regarding the act.
Also speaking at the programme, Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu said the government will take initiative to amend the act if necessary.
Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, head of news and CEO of Baishakhi Television, also urged the government and think-tanks to thoroughly review the act, and called on everyone to be individual watchdogs of the act.
In October 2008, the then caretaker government promulgated the RTI ordinance, which became the RTI act in March 2009 after the Awami League government passed the bill by making minor amendments to the original ordinance.
