Bangladesh enacted legislation in 2009 to ensure citizens’ upright to records, yet this upright stays exiguous extra than a paper promise to on the present time.
“For a yr and a half of, I without a doubt were making an try to earn records from a Savar VAT place of work. Despite extra than one attempts and even involving the High Court, I tranquil relish now not received it,” talked about Arup Roy, the Savar-Manikganj team correspondent for Bangla day-to-day Ajker Patrika.
Arup has been a journalist since 1980 and has worked with several main nationwide dailies. To this level, he has filed 560 records requests to plenty of locations of work.
“But I cannot surrender; I opinion to design abet to court docket with a unusual plea,” he talked about, reflecting on his challenges in acquiring records beneath the Comely to Data Act, 2009.
On 5 February 2023, Arup requested records from the Customs Excise and VAT Discipline of job in Savar Circle pertaining to sweet factories, sellers, and accommodations.
After now not receiving the records interior 20 working days, he appealed to the divisional VAT place of work.
When that failed, he approached the Data Charge on 16 April, however the VAT officer didn’t modify to the Charge’s question of. Despite a virtual listening to the assign the reliable became over again asked to present the records, he tranquil didn’t discontinuance so.
Pissed off, Arup talked about, “I filed a writ petition within the High Court on 20 June 2024. Despite the court docket ordering the open of the records, my reapplication on 14 July became over again denied. I will preserve combating and pursue my upright to records.”
Arup talked about since 2009, he has filed 560 requests to plenty of locations of work for records. Of those, easiest 10% were fulfilled by means of frequent channels, and 2% by means of appeals to elevated authorities.
He purchased 50% of the records by filing complaints with the Data Charge. “All of these efforts to earn records rate me around Tk4-5 lakh to this level,” Roy in point of fact helpful TBS.
“When I file a criticism with the Data Charge, it feels as even supposing I’m the one at fault,” Arup talked about, suggesting that the Charge on the entire prioritises defending administrative activities over enforcing the regulation.
Established on 1 July 2009 beneath the Comely to Data Act 2009, the Data Charge is meant to operate as an self sustaining body.
Fixed with the Charge’s online page online, it handles complaints from citizens regarding the unavailability of records. Its main role is to support contributors in acquiring records from all public, non-public, and foreign-aided non-governmental organisations, whereas also encouraging compliance.
The Charge goals to unravel complaints related to records access and to impose disciplinary measures against of us that supply false or deceptive records.
On the assorted hand, service recipients alleged that the Charge has did not feature effectively and independently over the previous 15 years, dominated by Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League.
‘Charge must tranquil be freed from political have an effect on’
Hasibur Rahman, govt director of the Media Resources Pattern Initiative (MRDI), in point of fact helpful TBS, “Gaining access to records after submitting an application is fraught with limitations, and distinguished records is seldom accessible this form.”
Then there is Section 7 of the Act, which permits the authority now not to present definite records, he talked about.
“Section 6 of the Act addresses the voluntary disclosure of records, which is useful to the public. If all records were revealed on the government’s 40,000 web sites, it might perhaps per chance in all probability alleviate a lot of the public’s struggles,” he talked about.
Furthermore, the Data Charge’s decisions are now not enforced on the bottom level. Their intended role must tranquil be to support the public, he talked about, including that the Charge must tranquil operate free from political have an effect on.
Hasibur Rahman also pointed out that an prognosis of the Charge’s previous judgments on records claims reveals that nearly about 40% of requests design from journalists.
Even after 15 years, there stays a lack of journey about this regulation and its application amongst the frequent public, he added.
TIB’s 13-present be traipse upright to records
On its online page online the day earlier than currently, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) unveiled 13-level solutions to be traipse the fashionable upright to records, records accessibility and public participation.
The solutions encompass effectively enforcing the Comely to Data Act, abolishing all lawful and institutional barriers, comprehensive reform of the Data Charge, and amending and repealing authorized guidelines that battle with the Comely to Data Act etc.
TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman in point of fact helpful TBS the early life’s grand sacrifices and the descend of the authoritarian regime relish ignited unparalleled optimism for rebuilding a new Bangladesh.
“Freedom of speech, the upright to dissent, and the unrestricted drift of records are integral aspirations of this vision. Guaranteeing the free drift of records is prime to our belief in growing a clear, to blame and corruption-free Bangladesh,” he talked about.
Iftekharuzzaman urged the intervening time government to prioritise free speech and the upright to records as mandatory to this new generation.
