Management and Resource Development Initiative Executive Director Hasibur Rahman hands over its recommendations, on bringing changes to section-7 of the Right to Information Act, 2009 to make it favorable for the public, to Chief Information Commissioner Mohammed Farooq at the latter's office in the capital yesterday. Photo: Collected

The Management and Resource Development Initiative (MRDI) has recommended that the section-7 of the Right to Information Act (RTI), 2009, which prevents designated information officials from providing information to applicants, should be changed to make it more favorable for the public.

MRDI Executive Director Hasibur Rahman yesterday handed over its recommendations, which were finalised from a perception survey, to Chief Information Commissioner Mohammed Farooq at the latter's office in the capital, says a press release.

The survey was conducted by the MRDI in partnership with Manusher Jonno Foundation and with technical assistance from the Information Commission.

“Some conditions of the section-7 need to be reviewed and explained properly,” opined Farooq.

The recommendations include keeping some sub-sections of the article intact, re-arranging some, removing one, and modifying three along with the additional terms mentioned at the end of the sub-section 7(t).

Knowingly or unknowingly the section is often misinterpreted and misused, said Hasibur Rahman.

According to section-7, any information that may, if disclosed, cause a threat to the security and sovereignty of the country and its foreign policy cannot be sought.