Rangpur: Terming the media as the fourth bastion of the state, speakers at a meeting today sought the crucial role of the media in establishing good governance and increasing transparency in all tiers of public services. They expressed the opinion today at the meeting on the role of stakeholders in establishing good governance organised by Rangpur Regional Information Office of the PID at its office in the city. According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Assistant Information Officer at Rangpur Regional Office of the PID, Md Rupal Mia, presided over the meeting, which was participated by local editors, news editors of different dailies, and journalists working in different electronic and print media. Assistant Director of the District Information Office Md Alamgir Kabir attended the meeting as the chief guest. Assistant Information Officer Tania Taznin Memi, Assistant Information Officer at Rangpur Regional Office of the PID, Ayesha Siddika, and BSS journalist Md Mamun Islam, along with editors and journali sts, addressed the event. In his welcome speech, Rupal Mia briefed the participating journalists on the activities of the Press Information Department (PID) and its field-level offices. He emphasized, "The media is a mirror of the society and serves as a bridge between the government and the people. If there is independent media in any society, state, and country, there will never be a crisis for free flow of information." Mia also discussed various aspects and benefits of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2009, which was enacted to ensure the free flow of information. The RTI Act states that any person has the right to information. Alamgir Kabir mentioned that the government has formed an Information Commission to ensure the right to information of all citizens, although common people are yet to know much about their right to information. The Information Commission carries out various programs for wide publicity of the RTI Act, 2009 among the masses. He further added, "The media brings various irregulari ties and problems of the society before people, making it easier for the authorities to establish good governance. The role of the media is vital in establishing good governance." Kabir called upon journalists to work with utmost sincerity and accountability to play the most crucial role in establishing good governance.
