Home
Right to Information Forum ( RTI Forum) comprised of nearly forty organizations and individuals, a wide base network established in July 2008 for the purpose of facilitating RTI works in Bangladesh. RTI Forum members and member organizations united campaigned for enactment of RTI Law in Bangladesh. After enactment of RTI law in 2009 this forum is primarily working in two major fronts. One side is to sensitize people about importance of the law so that it can be used to ensure better governance and protect rights of the citizen. Another one is to play watch dog role to monitor implementation status of RTI Act 2009 by different authorities including Government and Non Government.
Since 2008, besides playing coordinating and facilitating roles this forum has been organizing sensitizing seminar, workshops and conference with different level stakeholders. As pressure group this forum also arranges rallies, human chains and press briefing so that RTI can be included in mainstreamed agenda and debates. RTT Forum as network plays an important role in sharing good practices on RTI, disseminating various IEC materials among forum members. Research has also become a critical agenda in RTI Forum members’ work. A process has already been started to undertake periodic assessment on RTI Act implementation and lobby for appropriate future actions.
Different stakeholders including government and non government sector appreciates importance of such civil society led forum and it is not generally a common approach in many countries who have adopted RTI law. But off course RTI Forum has to prove its credential through maintaining neutrality and upholding the spirit of “ protector” of the law.
Coming years, this forum needs to be more visible in terms of knowledge building, sharing, and strengthening application side of RTI Act. Hopefully Forum website will be a strong platform in this context. Forum appreciates and hopes that government, non- government, media, private sectors, professionals and community people will use this Act for addressing poverty and establishing better governance and rights.
