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<p>The Access to Information for Greater Participation and Government Accessibility project was funded through the Civil Society Challenge Fund. It was managed by ‘Article 19’, an organisation that defends the right to freedom of expression, and implemented by Mass Line Media Centre, Shuprashashoner Jonno Pracharavijan, and the Bangladesh News Network for Radio Communication. The project aimed to increase accountability between the Government and poor people for more inclusive policy-making where the policy is relevant to the poor. It was implemented from March 2007 to August 2010 nationally and with a particular focus on 12 districts.</p><p>An independent evaluation found that the project had made a ‘far-reaching’ contribution to the enactment and implementation of the 2009 Right to Information Act in Bangladesh. The project provided the Government with technical assistance while the Act was being drafted. The project trained 200 government officials in their duties under the Act. It assisted 52,000 people to understand their rights and entitlements. This meant, for example, communities were able to ask for and receive information on the selection criteria for cyclone relief and rehabilitation assistance.</p> |