RTI act hinges on use by journos

Implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act largely depends on how journalists use the act, said their leaders yesterday.
The general public will benefit when more journalists begin to use the act for investigative reporting, they added.
They were addressing the concluding session of a workshop for journalists organised by Dhaka Reporter's Unity (DRU).
Supported by the Ministry of Information and the Information Commission, DRU trained nearly a thousand of its member journalists over the last two years on how the act can be used in the field of journalism, said DRU President Shahed Chowdhury.
Chief Information Commissioner Mohammed Farooq said, “It has been five years since the act was enacted. But, we have not reached even five percent of the population.” He urged journalists to report on various clauses of the act to inform people of existence. Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said, “Application of the RTI act by journalists can bring the secrets of politicians and different institutions to an end, but journalists are not using the act that much.”