Shamsul Bari

The writer is the Chairman of Research Initiatives, Bangladesh (RIB) and a former Director of UNHCR.

Appoint missing commissioners to keep RTI Act alive

There appears to be a shift in the attitude of many public authorities towards the RTI Act.

3w ago

Right to information is meaningless without information commissioners

Delay in reconstituting the Information Commission is hindering transparency and accountability.

2m ago

We need a ‘public interest override’ in the RTI Act

Public interest should be the yardstick when balancing citizens' right to information concerning governance and state need to safeguard sensitive information.

3m ago

Time to put the RTI Act on the right track

The success of the RTI Act anywhere in the world largely depends on the determination and commitment of the citizens to put it to practical use.

4m ago

101 of the RTI Act for Bangladesh's youth activists

Bangladesh's RTI law is the best law to utilise in making a new Bangladesh where people's power reigns supreme in the true sense of the term.

5m ago

Right to information: Time for the sunshine law

Now is the opportunity for our youth to lead us in using existing laws to build a better country.

6m ago

RTI kept alive by rural, semi-urban citizens

In Bangladesh, those at the grassroots level with little knowledge about the intricacies of governance have found the RTI law useful and convenient.

8m ago

Citizens must use RTI Act to its full potential

The use of the RTI Act is not merely to focus on government work, but to operationalise good governance too.

9m ago
February 16, 2025
February 16, 2025

Appoint missing commissioners to keep RTI Act alive

There appears to be a shift in the attitude of many public authorities towards the RTI Act.

December 15, 2024
December 15, 2024

Right to information is meaningless without information commissioners

Delay in reconstituting the Information Commission is hindering transparency and accountability.

November 15, 2024
November 15, 2024

We need a ‘public interest override’ in the RTI Act

Public interest should be the yardstick when balancing citizens' right to information concerning governance and state need to safeguard sensitive information.

October 15, 2024
October 15, 2024

Time to put the RTI Act on the right track

The success of the RTI Act anywhere in the world largely depends on the determination and commitment of the citizens to put it to practical use.

September 16, 2024
September 16, 2024

101 of the RTI Act for Bangladesh's youth activists

Bangladesh's RTI law is the best law to utilise in making a new Bangladesh where people's power reigns supreme in the true sense of the term.

August 19, 2024
August 19, 2024

Right to information: Time for the sunshine law

Now is the opportunity for our youth to lead us in using existing laws to build a better country.

June 15, 2024
June 15, 2024

RTI kept alive by rural, semi-urban citizens

In Bangladesh, those at the grassroots level with little knowledge about the intricacies of governance have found the RTI law useful and convenient.

May 30, 2024
May 30, 2024

Citizens must use RTI Act to its full potential

The use of the RTI Act is not merely to focus on government work, but to operationalise good governance too.

May 15, 2024
May 15, 2024

Right to information takes centre stage in Indian elections

The Indian Supreme Court's recent decision on electoral bonds underline the importance of citizens' role in exercising their right to information as watchdogs of good governance.

April 16, 2024
April 16, 2024

Arrest and imprisonment of journalist over RTI request is ominous

The eruption of hostility surrounding the submission of a simple RTI request to a public official was uncalled for