Web-based voluntary disclosure of information about services provided by the country’s government and non-government organizations can greatly enhance good governance by making the institutions more transparent and accountable to the people, a workshop was told on Tuesday.

The workshop focused on the importance of proactive disclosure of information on the web portals of both government and non-government organizations in enhancing e-participation of the people.

Organized by MRDI in collaboration with The Asia Foundation, A2I and the ICT division at Agargaon the workshop was presided over by NM Ziaul Alam, senior secretary at ICT division.

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Speaking at the event as the chief guest Chief Information Commissioner Martuza Ahmed said that article six of the Right to Information Act has mandated the government and NGOs to voluntarily tell the people through their web portals details about their activities and their services.

Saying that the government spends huge amount of money on social security the CIC asked the relevant organizations to let the people know all about the services so the benefits reach them.

Land Secretary Mustafizur Rahman, in his speech as a special guest, told the workshop that his ministry is working on creating a Land Data Bank which will contain all information about the country’s land ownership and services it provides to the people.

He said such voluntary display of information helps boost public trust and confidence on the government and its various organizations.

With regard to proactive disclosure of information the workshop arrived at a consensus that web portals must be user friendly and contain updated and quality information.

Speakers also agreed that such voluntary information-sharing greatly helps reduce corruption and irregularities. The more people know about the services the greater they will feel empowered and hold the providers accountable, they observed.

In his welcome speech Hasibur Rahman, Executive Director of MRDI, said that government organizations are much ahead of the NGOs in proactive disclosure of their information.

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Citing a recent Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) survey Hasibur said only six per cent of the country’s NGOs self-disclose detail information about them on their web portals, while 75 per cent of the government organizations provide it voluntarily.

Also spoke at the function KM Tariqul Islam, Director General of NGO Bureau, Md Abdul Mannan, execjutive director of Bangladesh Computer Council, Nepal Chandra Sarkar, former Information Commissioner I, Daulatuzzaman Khan, national portal implementation expert, Dewan Mohammad Humayun Kabir, project director of A2I, Mozammel Babu, editor-in-chief of Ekattor TV, Syed Ishtiaq Reza, editor-in-chief of GTV, Rejoanul Haq Raja, chief news editor of Masranga TV Ananya Raihan, executive chairperson of Dnet and Sheikh Md Manjur-e Alam, director communications at TIB.

It was moderated by Md Nazrul Islam, former cabinet secretary (coordination and reforms) and board member of MRDI.