For the first time since its inception in 2009, the Information Commission yesterday fined a government official Tk 1,000 under the Right to Information (RTI) Act for refusing to provide information.
The move came in response to a complaint filed by Sheikh Ali Ahammad, of Fatullah in Narayanganj, with the commission.
Mohammad Golam Mostafa, health and family planning officer at Araihazar upazila in Narayanganj, refused to help Ali who sought information from him under the RTI Act about a murder accused.
After two hearings on August 9 and 18, the commission yesterday fined Mostafa, and said the fine has to be paid by September 15.
It also directed the then civil surgeon of Narayanganj Khorshed Alam, who was the superior officer of Mostafa, to perform his duty properly in future. It rebuked Alam for not directing the health officer to give the information.
Mohammad Jamir, the chief information commissioner, told reporters that the commission took the decision as Mostafa admitted to his offence.
The Information Commission has received 65 complaints of RTI violation since 2009. Of the cases, 34 have
been solved so far. Golam Mostafa is the first government official fined under the RTI act THE COMPLAINT
Ali in the complaint said Mohammad Golam Mostafa, health and family planning officer at Araihazar upazila in Narayanganj, refused to give information when he enquired whether Mamun, a murder accused, was taking treatment in the upazila health complex between April 7 and 11,2009.
Mamun is one of the five accused in a case filed for killing Ali's younger brother Sheikh Abu Ahammad on April 9 the same year. District Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been investigating the case.
Ali said Mamun's father gave a fake medical certificate to the investigation team and CID dropped Mamun's name from the charge-sheet submitted to a district court in April this year.
Mamun went into hiding just after filing of the case. "He [Mamun] was cleared of all the charges as I did not get the information at that time," saidAli.