Bangladesh Information Commission Faces Prolonged Paralysis as Backlog of Public Complaints Mounts
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Bangladesh’s Information Commission has remained effectively paralyzed for the past 22 months, leaving citizens without a vital mechanism to enforce their right to information. This administrative vacuum has halted all formal hearings for grievances, resulting in a backlog of 780 pending cases. Beyond the adjudication of complaints, the commission’s broader mandate—including public awareness campaigns, training initiatives, and official publications—has ground to a halt in what experts describe as an unprecedented period of dormancy.
The crisis within the commission deepened following the July uprising, which led to the resignation of Chief Information Commissioner Abdul Malek and Information Commissioner Shahidul Alam in September 2024. This followed the earlier removal of Information Commissioner Masuda Bhatti in January 2024. Despite these vacancies, the previous interim government concluded its term in February without reconstituting the body, leaving the commission without leadership or a permanent secretary. Currently, an additional secretary from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is managing routine administrative tasks.
বিজ্ঞাপন
In a push to restore institutional transparency, the new administration has initiated a formal process to revitalize the commission. On July 9, the government established a five-member search committee, led by Appellate Division Justice Farah Mahbub, to identify candidates for the vacant commissioner positions. The committee includes the Cabinet Secretary, Members of Parliament Andaleeve Rahman and Masud Saeedi, and National Press Club President Hasan Hafiz. They are tasked with recommending two candidates for each vacancy to the President. Prime Ministerial advisor for information and broadcasting, Zahed Ur Rahman, recently affirmed that the government is committed to finalizing these appointments swiftly.
Current staff at the commission’s Agargaon office report that operations are limited to basic administrative maintenance, with the core functions of grievance redressal and public oversight completely suspended. Legal obligations, such as the submission of the commission’s mandatory annual report to the President, have been missed for both 2024 and 2025. Officials note that the current count of 780 pending cases likely underrepresents the true scale of public grievance, as many citizens have refrained from filing complaints due to the commission’s known inactivity.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has criticized the prolonged delay, drawing parallels between the stagnation of the Information Commission and other key bodies like the Anti-Corruption Commission and the National Human Rights Commission. TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman observed that while previous failures to form the commission stemmed from a lack of political accountability, the current government’s decision to form a search committee signals a shift in political will. He emphasized that the primary challenge moving forward will be ensuring the new commission operates as a truly independent entity, free from political influence, to effectively uphold the fundamental rights of the public.
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