Staff Reporter :
Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, chair of the Election Reform Commission (ERC), has said that political parties must be brought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act to ensure transparency and accountability in Bangladesh’s electoral process.
Speaking at a seminar on the RTI Act held at a Dhaka hotel on Sunday, Dr Majumdar noted that proposals have already been placed to make candidates’ educational qualifications and income-expenditure statements publicly available ahead of the next national election.
He stressed that without transparency in political parties themselves, reforms would remain incomplete. “Political parties should not remain outside the RTI framework,” he said.
Turning to broader development challenges, Dr Majumdar highlighted Bangladesh’s persistent health sector gaps, remarking that the country lags behind even many African nations in terms of malnutrition and healthcare delivery.
“When our women suffer from malnutrition, it affects their children as well. Unless women enjoy the right to good health, the nation itself cannot be healthy,” he said.
He further added: “Investing in women, ending their deprivation, and creating opportunities for them is essential, as they constitute half of our society and are often marginalized. Ensuring their representation in all spheres will bring substantial real benefits to the country.”
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, also addressing the seminar, argued that government information belongs to the public and not to officials. “The public has a right to know this information. If government officials do not change their tendency to maintain secrecy, the benefits of the RTI Act will not be realized,” he said.
He also criticized the interim government for what he described as its failure to set an example in implementing the RTI Act.
The seminar brought together reform advocates, anti-corruption campaigners, and civil society actors, who reiterated that strengthening the RTI regime is central to building democratic accountability as the country approaches its next election.
