Rights Group Urges Merit-Based Appointments for Information Commission to Ensure Impartiality
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The Tothyo Odhikar Forum (Right to Information Forum) has urged the government’s search committee to prioritize professional integrity, neutrality, and courage over partisan or bureaucratic influence in the appointment of the next Chief Information Commissioner and two Information Commissioners. In a formal statement released Thursday, the coalition of civil society leaders emphasized that the selection process represents a critical opportunity to establish an independent and effective information commission.
The appeal was directed at the five-member search committee, led by Appellate Division Justice Farah Mahbub, which was recently tasked with selecting candidates for the vacant posts. Under the Right to Information Act of 2009, the committee has already invited applications from qualified individuals, a move the forum welcomed as a necessary step toward realizing the public’s long-standing demand for transparent governance.
The forum stressed that the success of the Right to Information Act is intrinsically tied to the caliber of those appointed to oversee it. According to the organization, the commission members must demonstrate not only technical legal competence but also an unwavering commitment to acting in the public interest, entirely free from external pressures.
In their statement, the signatories noted that the Right to Information Act serves as a vital instrument for ensuring freedom of expression, promoting government accountability, and curbing corruption. The group expressed concern that previous appointment cycles were marred by political favoritism and bureaucratic interference, which ultimately hindered the law’s effectiveness. The forum asserted that the current search committee carries the responsibility of correcting these past shortcomings by adhering to a rigorous, merit-based selection process.
The statement was issued on behalf of the forum’s core group by a broad coalition of civil society figures, including convener Shaheen Anam, SHUJAN secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar, and Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman. Other signatories included leaders from several prominent non-governmental and human rights organizations, such as COAST Trust, the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, BLAST, and various research and development initiatives.
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