Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Professor Dr Nahreen Islam Khan on Sunday said the Information Commission would work for the people rather than any government or individual, making citizens’ right to information a top priority.
She said the commission’s initial priorities would include ensuring public access to information, raising awareness about its activities and making it easier for citizens to seek information.
Nahreen made the remarks while speaking to journalists after a meeting with Information and Broadcasting Minister Andaleeve Rahman at the Secretariat.
The government appointed Nahreen as CIC on Saturday, alongside journalists S A M Mahfuzur Rahman and Khan Mohammad Abul Hossain as Information Commissioners.
Responding to questions about becoming the first woman to lead the commission and its future activities, Nahreen said gender should not determine how a person performs their responsibilities.
“What matters is the responsibility itself, not gender. The most important thing is to ensure equal priority for everyone in society,” she said.
She observed that although the Information Commission had existed for 17 years, it had yet to accomplish any particularly significant work.
Nahreen expressed hope that the commission, appointed under a democratic government, would function independently and uphold people’s right to information.
“The Information Commission is for the people. We will work for the people, not for any government or any particular individual. We will work for everyone, and our doors will remain open to all people in Bangladesh,” she said.
Information Commissioner Mahfuzur Rahman, who previously served as a speechwriter to the Prime Minister, said he had taken on a new responsibility at an independent statutory institution.
He stressed the need to clarify how the institution should function and serve the public, adding that the right to information belonged to all citizens, not just the media.
Emphasising transparency and accuracy in the flow of information, Mahfuzur Rahman said the commission would seek to promote social welfare, public welfare and the interests of the state through the transparent and responsible dissemination of accurate information.
He said the commission would play an active role in meeting public expectations regarding access to information and support citizens in exercising that right.