About Us

District Policy Forum (DPF), Moulvibazar- under the British Council's Platform for Dialogue (P4D) project, funded by the European Union and in partnership with the Cabinet Division of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.

Our Goal

Effective use of dialogue, advocacy and accountability guidelines (e.g. CC, RTI, GRS and NIS) to influence and implement government policy.
Enhancing the capacity of CSOs to properly represent civic interests.
To increase the effective involvement of CSOs in government decision making process.

Our Goal

Social Accountability Tools

RIGHT TO INFORMATION (RTI) ACT, 2009

The RTI Act has been described as a “milestone in the legal history of Bangladesh”. It enshrines in law, for the first time, people’s right to obtain information from a number of sources:

Executive and legislative branches of government (including government ministries)
Private organisations receiving government or foreign funding, including NGOs, international organisations and other private bodies

Key to the success of the RTI Act is establishing equality – it allows citizens to hold publically funded institutions or organisations accountable when they don’t act in the public’s interest.

To learn more about laws, enactments, and the status of RTI activities visit the Information Commission website (contents may be in Bengali).

NATIONAL INTEGRITY STRATEGY (2012)

The National Integrity Strategy (NIS) sets out the government’s plan to address system weakness in domestic institutions, highlighted by the UN as a key driver of corruption.

The NIS reflects the government’s stated belief that “the fight against corruption cannot be won by prosecution alone; an inclusive approach based on values, morals, ethics and integrity is necessary.”

Under the NIS, the government aims to bring about the following changes:

Parliament emerges as a place for fair and rational debate for law-making
Local government is people-oriented, accountable, transparent and independent
Civil society remains articulate, non-partisan and an active campaigner for national integrity, so that citizens can effectively demand transparency and accountability from public institutions

To learn more on NIS, visit the website of Cabinet Division, Bangladesh (contents may be in Bengali).

GRIEVANCE REDRESS SYSTEM (2008)

The government’s Vision 2021 contains a focus on the development and promotion of systems to curb corruption and establish good governance. The establishment of a Grievance Redress System governing conduct in all government ministries and offices is a key tool to achieve these aims.

The system sets out rules and procedures, as well as roles for key officials, to resolve complains, grievances, disputes and conflicts wherever they arise in interactions between the public and government officers.

The system allows users to file complaints anonymously, reducing concerns about negative repercussions.

CITIZEN’S CHARTER

Sets standards of service that meet the needs and expectations of citizens
Focuses on the needs of citizens and the capacity of providers
Engages citizens and service providers in the formulation process
Encourages collaboration between citizens and civil servants

The purpose of Citizen’s Charter is to improve the accountability, transparency and quality of public services. A Citizen’s Charter outlines and asserts promises of standards. It is a crucial instrument to bring about a positive change in existing administrative culture by reinforcing responsiveness.