In light of a devastating fire incident earlier this week, access to the Secretariat, designated as a Key Point Installation (KPI), has been restricted for security purposes. As part of these measures, the entry of journalists holding existing accreditation cards has also been limited, alongside restrictions on other private passes. This was stated by Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser.
He further mentioned that the government will soon review the current press accreditation cards. Additionally, the Department of Information (PID) will invite applications from all local and international media outlets for the issuance of new accreditation cards.
In a verified Facebook post on Saturday, December 28, Shafiqul Alam elaborated that journalists will continue to receive temporary access cards from the relevant ministries for any events during this period. He also expressed the government’s sincere regret for the temporary inconvenience and sought the cooperation of journalists.
The notice clarified that journalists would be provided temporary daily access cards for press events by the respective ministries. The government emphasized its apology for the difficulties and sought understanding from the media professionals.
Earlier, on December 27, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notice to strengthen overall security at the Bangladesh Secretariat. It canceled all temporary access passes for private individuals, except for permanent passes (Digital Access Control System) and temporary passes issued to government officials and employees. The notice also stated that entry into the Secretariat using journalist-issued accreditation cards is suspended until further notice.
