International Day for Universal Access to Information today

The International Day for Universal Access to Information is being observed worldwide on Monday, September 28, with a focus on ensuring access to accurate information and strengthening the role of the right to information in countering misinformation.

In Bangladesh, the day is being marked with various programmes, including a discussion at the Information Commission Bangladesh auditorium in Agargaon, Dhaka, at 2:30pm.

The event will focus on access to information, information accuracy, misinformation, and transparency and accountability in public institutions.

The 2026 theme is “Ensuring Accurate Information in the Digital Age: The Role of the Right to Information in Combating Misinformation.” The theme reflects a broader international focus on information integrity in an increasingly digital environment.

UNESCO is marking the 2026 observance through events centred on universal access to information and information integrity.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Andaleeve Rahman Partho is scheduled to attend the Dhaka programme as chief guest, while Information and Broadcasting Secretary Mahbuba Farzana will chair the session.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry-related parliamentary standing committee chairman Md Amanullah Aman, Prime Minister’s Information Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman and State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yasser Khan Choudhury are expected to attend as special guests. Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Shujan, and National Press Club President Hasan Hafiz are also scheduled to join as discussants.

Information Commission Secretary Md Shah Alam will deliver the welcome address, while Professor Dr Suman Rahman is scheduled to present the keynote paper.

The day is also being marked through a range of public-awareness initiatives, including SMS campaigns, documentaries on citizens’ right to information displayed on digital screens and advertising boards, and promotional banners on government and private institutional websites.

September 28 was proclaimed the International Day for Universal Access to Information by UNESCO in 2015 and later recognised at the UN level in 2019. The observance highlights the importance of public access to information as a means of promoting transparency, accountability and informed participation in society.