Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed Saturday underscored the need for using ICT in implementing laws by ensuring access to information for the common people, reports BSS.

“If we want to step forward in this competitive world, ICT must be used in the rural areas to ensure access to information for a sustainable development,” he said this while speaking at a seminar here as the chief guest.

The seminar titled ‘ICTs and Access to Information: How to Make it Work for Promoting Human Rights’ was organised by D.Net and sponsored by Manusher Jonno, a non-governmental organisation.

The seminar was chaired by team leader of Manusher Jonno Shaheen Anam while executive director of D.Net Anannya Raihan presented the keynote paper.

Unnnayan Samonnay chairman Atiur Rahman and Optic Fiber Network Division director of the Grameen Phone AMM Yahya spoke as the panel discussants at the seminar.

Referring to the constitution, Moudud said all the citizens of the country must have knowledge that human rights and fundamental rights of people are ensured in the constitution.

“Only making new laws would not improve the country’s law
and order unless mass people were aware about their rights and provisions in various laws,” the minister observed.

The minister also said many people in the country sides have no idea that the country has powerful laws against dowry demand and acid spraying due to lack of access to information.

Various modes of ICTs could play vital role as an effective tool for disseminating the essential information including law, justice, agriculture and education to the masses.
Ananya Raihan elaborated a DNet project titled ‘Abolombon- Empowering People through Improved Accesses to Information On Governance and Human Rights’ at the seminar.

He explained how the pilot project provided access to information by establishing rural information centers with computer, internet, mobile phone facilities at four villages in the Nilphamari, Netrokona, Noakhali and Bagerhat districts.