04 September 2023, Jashore

A day-long training workshop on 'Improving the Quality of Life of the People through the Implementation of the Right to Information Act 2009' was held today 04 September 2023, in Jashore with the aim of widening and ensuring the active participation of the rural community in the implementation of the Right to Information Act-2009 and accelerating their empowerment process through access to information. A total of 33 representatives of national and regional/local level dailies, online news portals, and district press clubs participated in this training organized by Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC), with the support of Friedrich Neumann Foundation for Freedom Bangladesh (FNF Bangladesh). Members of district information rights committees, representatives of non-governmental organizations, representatives of civil society, cultural and youth organizations, various professionals (teachers, lawyers, workers, businessmen, doctors), local political representatives, Dalits, Hijras, differently-abled people
and representatives of ethnic minority communities, Human rights and rights-based organizations, local media professionals, and volunteers were present at the event. At the beginning of the program the Chief Executive Officer of BNNRC Mr. AHM Bazlur Rahman greeted everyone and discussed the objectives and goals of the training. At this time, Mr. Md Omar Mostafiz, Programme Manager of FNF Bangladesh presented the perspective, vision, role and activities of FNF Bangladesh. BNNRC Jashore Focal Farzi Ahmed Sayed Bulbul welcomed the participants.
Mr. Tushar Kumar Paul; Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of Jashore was present as chief guest at the training workshop and the Guests of Honor were Mr. Md. Rezaul Karim, Senior Information Officer of Jashore; Mr. Md. Yoysuf Mia, Executive Magistrate & Member Secretary RTI (Jashore); and Mr. Binoy Krisno Mollick, Executive Director at Rights Jashore. At the closing ceremony of the training workshop, the chief guest said that access to information is the right of all citizens. This access opens up the source of information, ensuring accountability for the administrative actions of the state. Good governance is sustained through this transparency. He told the trainees that mainly journalists work more with information. He assured cooperation to ensure the right of the Jashore region to get all kinds of information.

Honorable guest Mr. Md. Rezaul Karim, Senior Information Officer of Jashore said that, training workshop on access to information, the scope of knowledge of media workers and people of all classes and professions will increase, thereby the good governance of the state will be strengthened. Mr. Md. Yousuf Mia, Executive Magistrate & Member Secretary RTI (Jashore) said that, access to information, and the scope of knowledge of media workers and people of all classes and professions will increase their professional skills. He thanked the organizing organization for organizing the training workshop on such a topic. Mr. Binoy Krisno Mollick, Executive Director at Rights Jashore said that, in the era of 4IR digital safety and security are important to save human rights defenders. Through the training workshop on access to information, the scope of knowledge of media workers and people of all classes and professions will increase, thereby the good governance of the state will be strengthened. The training was facilitated by Mr. Liton Kumer Pramanik; Assistant Director (Publicity &
Publication) and Public Relations Officer, Information Commission Bangladesh.
He started the training session by checking the participants' understanding of the Data Protection Act 2009. He then discussed the definition of information and the right to information, the importance of the right to information, ease of access to information, the Right to Information Act 2009: background and basic issues, salient features of the Right to Information Act 2009, legal basis and procedure of right to information, practical guide to right to information act, finding information and the process of obtaining information step by step. After the lunch break, the second session of the training started with the trainees filling up the data collection form. Mr. Pramanik then elaborated on the Rules of Appeals and Grievances, Proceedings of the RTI Act 2009: Complaints and Redressal, Right to
Information, Disclosure of Information, Challenges and Limitations of Right to Information and the Relationship between the Right to Information and Good Governance. After the discussion, he again checked the ideas of the participants through a post-test. Later, the training was concluded with an open question-and-answer session and closing remarks. It is hoped that through the training, the participants will be encouraged to apply the Right to Information Act accurately, the concerned local institutions will be self-motivated to provide information, and a link will be developed between the parties providing the information and receiving the information. BNNRC is a media development organization that was established in 2000 and is registered with the Bureau of NGO Affairs under the Office of the Honorable Prime Minister of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. It is a special consultative organization of the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the organization is the winner of the World Summit on Information Society United Nations Award-2016 and the champion of 2017 and 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023 for its contribution to building the information society.
BNNRC plays a role in knowledge-driven media development at national, regional, and international levels. BNNRC's endeavors are to develop media based on knowledge and ongoing issues, taking into account the challenges and opportunities of the rapidly changing reality of media in Bangladesh with the aim of ensuring information rights, good governance and human rights of the people living in rural areas.