Dhaka, Sep 28 (V7N) – The head of the Election Reform Commission, Dr. Badiul Alam Majumder, has stressed that political parties must be brought under the scope of the Right to Information (RTI) Act to ensure transparency and accountability.

He made the remarks at a seminar on the Right to Information Act, held at a city hotel on Sunday.

Dr. Majumder noted that in the run-up to the upcoming 13th National Parliament Election, proposals have been made for candidates to publicly disclose their educational qualifications and income and expenditure details.

At the same event, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman criticized the interim government for “failing to set an example” in implementing the RTI Act.

“Government information does not belong to any official—the people have the right to know,” he said, adding that the benefits of the law will remain limited unless the culture of secrecy among government officials is changed.

The seminar brought together academics, civil society representatives, and rights activists, who emphasized that the RTI Act, passed more than a decade ago, still faces challenges in practical implementation due to bureaucratic hurdles and lack of awareness.

END/SMA/AJ