Activities of Information Commission on RTI

Right to Information (RTI) Act-2009 is the outcome of a long-term process. The RTI Act and the activities of the Information Commission of Bangladesh have generated

massive interest within the nation. Apart of the government, the non-governmental and international organizations, print and electronic media and the corporate institutions are assisting the Information Commission in its endeavor. 

Specialty of Right to Information Act, 2009

The Right to Information Act, 2009 of Bangladesh owns a number of extraordinary characteristics. Unlike the other laws, this Act has preserved the rights for the perceptual handicapped individuals by adding a separate sub-section. 

The sub-section-9(1) states that ''the officer-in-charge shall provide assistance to the perceptual handicapped individuals to enable him/her accessing information when sought.‟

Supremacy of the Right to Information Act-2009

According to the Right to Information Act- 2009 if any case of providing information collides with the Official Secrets Act-1923, then this Act has the authority to supersede those rules (section-3 of the RTI Act-2009). Section-3 of the RTI Act, 2009 goes as followed:

“Of any existing law–(a) the provisions of providing information shall not be affected by the provisions of this Act; and (b) the provisions of creating impediment in providing information shall be superseded by the provisions of this Act if they become conflicting with the provisions of this Act.”

What is Information according to RTI Act?

What is Information? Information is any material in any form.

It includes any memo, book, design, map, contract, data, log book, order, notification, document, sample, letter, report, accounts, project proposal, photograph, audio, video, drawing, painting, film, any instrument done through electronic process, machine readable record, and any other documentary material regardless of its physical form or characteristics, and any copy thereof in relation to the constitution, structure and official activities of any authority.

How to make a request for information?

You must submit an application to the concerned Designated Officer (DO) of the concerned authority directly.

All information requests must be in writing (this includes e-mail) and provide the applicant’s name, address and other particulars for a response in prescribed format as mentioned in the Rules.


Describe the information sought for as correctly and clearly as possible.

Designated Officer's (DO) Duty for providing Information.

According to the RTI Act, every authority is legally bound to appoint a Designated Officer for each of the information providing units at central, divisional, district and Upazila at the lowest level in every government and non-government organization who would provide the sought information to the applicants following the regulations and exceptions of the law in exchange of the determined fee. 

The Designated Officer (DO) shall render reasonable assistance to the persons seeking information. If a person is unable to make a request in writing, he may seek the help of the DO to write his application.

Appeal Procedure for obtaining RTI

If an applicant is not supplied information within the prescribed time of 20 or 30 days or 24 hours, as the case may be, or is not satisfied with the information furnished to him or is aggrieved by a decision of the Designated Officer, may prefer an appeal to the Appellate Authority who is the administrative head of its immediate superior office within a period or thirty days from the date on which the time limit expires or receipt of such a decision.

The appellate authority of the public authority shall dispose of the appeal within a period of fifteen days after hearing the concerned parties to the appeal petition.