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Lack of free flow of information creates room for graft

APPG, Manusher Jonno dialogue told

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Speakers at a dialogue in the city yesterday said people are in the dark about government functioning due to the lack of free flow of information, which creates room for corruption.
They stressed effective functioning
of the Jatiya Sangsad to ensure the government's accountability and provide adequate information to the people about it.
The government as well as corporate bodies are subject to very weak accounting control and do not
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face any serious scrutiny by the legislature, or by legal or audit authorities, speakers said, suggesting the enactment of a Right to Information Act.
Senior leaders of the government and the opposition as well as lawmakers of both sides spoke at the dialogue titled "The role of lawmakers in ensuring right to information for all'. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and Manusher Jonno, jointly organised the dialogue held at the CIRDAP auditorium.
The speakers said access to government records is blocked by the old colonial practice of secrecy laws, which protect dishonest officials. Freedom of information is yet to be ensured and there are many laws prohibiting the disclosure of official documents and information, they mentioned.
LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan supported the lawmakers' suggestion to enact a Right to Information Act and said the process is underway. "We are in favour of providing all information to people, except on some crucial national issues."
On making the parliament function effectively, the minister suggested the opposition to join its sessions and force the government to be accountable. On the opposition allegation that they are not allowed to speak in the House, he said, "You should address this issue in the House, and people will decide whether you get time to speak or not."
Eminent jurist and President of the Gono Forum Dr Kamal Hossain said an active parliament can ensure free flow of information where government is bound to reply to questions about its functioning.
He demanded that the government make public all investigation reports on different incidents (bomb blasts) in the last 20 months. The people have the right to know what the government is doing about those, he said.
Dr Kamal said the mere enactment of a law is not enough to ensure free flow of information. "What we need is respect for the law."
AL lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta echoed Dr Kamal and said, "We have a parliament but it is not functional…We have a constitution but little respect for it."
The opposition lawmaker went on, "We have introduced a caretaker government system for fair polling but it has proved that it is not enough. So, I am saying only laws are not adequate, we will have to show full respect for the law."
Presiding over the dialogue, ruling BNP lawmaker Abu Hena said in Bangladesh, once the votes are cast, the voices of the people go competently unheard until the next election.
"Key legislative and budgeting decisions are made with little input from the people who voted in the election. Special and entrenched interests control decisionmaking both at the community and national level," he said.
"… The legislators have to become rubber stamps for a dominant executive," he said. The prime minister is the head of both the executive and the legislative wings
of the government, he added.
The BNP lawmaker also said the government controls the magistracy and the lower tier of the judiciary.
Motiur Rahman, Editor of the Prothom Alo, moderated the dialogue. He observed that lack of adequate information is one of the main obstacles to the country's development. The government should be transparent in its functioning by providing information to the people.
Jatiya Party parliamentary group leader Rowshan Ershad said democracy cannot function properly without freedom of information. "We will have to establish democracy first, otherwise we will not be able to ensure free flow of information."
AL lawmaker Faruk Khan said opposition lawmakers do not join the House as they are deprived of information there.
Jatiya Party lawmaker GM Quader said unscrupulous bureaucrats want to hide information about their corrupt activities.
Former advisor of the caretaker government, ASM Shahjahan, compared government offices with cold storage and said it seems that government offices are for keeping the information but not for disseminating it.
BNP lawmakers Moazzmem Hossain Alal and Rashiduzzaman Millat asked the government to halt 'unhealthy journalism' of some so-called journalists and also to ensure people's right to know.
Economist Dr Atiur Rahman said the free flow of information is necessary for the people to take decisions on the government's performances, and is their fundamental right.
Editor of the Weekly Aunonnya asked the government to publish annual reports on performances of different ministries. "There is nothing to hide on the part of the government as it functions with public money," she said.
Shahjin Anam, Team Leader of the Manusher Jonno, urged lawmakers to work in favour of enacting the right to information act, and said it will help strengthen democracy as well as the development of the country.