The High Court has ruled that citizens would have access to the income and expense statements of political parties from the Election Commission.
The bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo on Thursday delivered the verdict in a case filed by civil society platform Shushashoner Janney Nagarik (Shujan).
The case was lodged after the Election Commission denied Shujan's request to disburse information about the registered political parties without their consent.
The full verdict is yet to be released, which may clarify the grounds of the verdict.
Sharif Bhuyan, a lawyer for the petitioners, said the High Court ruling meant that people could now get any information from any public institution if they applied for it. The people’s right to information has been established by the verdict, he added.
According to the petition, Shujan Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder had applied to the EC in June 2013 seeking information on annual income and expenditure of registered political parties. The commission refused to give out any detail without the political parties' consent.
Following the EC rejection, Shujan lodged an appeal with the Information Commission.
On July 16, 2014, the Information Commission too rejected Shujan’s plea, claiming that in accordance with the Right to Information Act 2009, the commission cannot provide information about any third party to the applicant without its consent.
In January 2015, Shujan leaders Badiul, Syed Abul Maksud, M Hafiz Uddin Khan, SM Shahjahan and Ali Imam filed an appeal with the High Court against the Information Commission’s decision.
On January 28, 2015, the court held primary hearing on the plea and issued a ruling on the government as to why the decision of not disclosing income and expense statement of political parties without their consent would not be declared illegal.
The Election Commission and Information Commission were asked to reply to the ruling. The court then held hearing on the ruling and finally Thursday declared it absolute.
