Right to Information

Basic right- Citizens have a right to information in order to be able to know about the affairs of each political party which, if elected by them, seeks to formulate policies of good governance. This right to information is a basic right which the citizens of a democratic country aspire in the broader horizon of their right to live. This right has reached a new dimension and urgency, which puts better responsibility upon those political parties towards their conduct, maintenance of transparency and accountability to the public whom they aspire to represent in the Parliament. Badiul Alam Majumdar vs Information Commission, Bangladesh, 69 DLR 100

Right to Information-Admittedly, the political parties did not consider their submitted audited statements of accounts as 'secret information' or 'confidential', but the respondents without any mandate of law erroneously served notices upon the respective political parties concern seeking their opinion in respect of providing information to the petitioners and most of the political parties, which operate in the public sphere and have constitutional and statutory obligations for accountability and transparency, provided a negative opinion in providing such information violating the citizen's right to information guaranteed under the Act, frustrating the purpose of the Rules and the Act and also damaging the spirit of ensuring and guaranteeing their transparency and accountability in all spheres including the people, which is unfortunate and hence, is deprecated. Badiul Alam Majumdar vs Information Commission, Bangladesh, 69 DLR 100