Dhaka, Dec 29 (V7N) — The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has announced that journalists will be issued temporary passes to enter the Bangladesh Secretariat starting tomorrow, Monday. The decision was made following the recent fire incident in Building No. 7 of the Secretariat, which led to a temporary ban on entry for visitors, interviewees, and journalists.

The Directorate of Information (DII) issued a press release on Sunday detailing the move. It stated that the accreditation cards for Secretariat access are currently being re-evaluated. The ministry plans to issue new permanent and temporary accreditation cards or passes shortly. In the interim, a limited number of temporary passes will be provided to journalists starting Monday.

Md. Nahid Islam, Advisor to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, confirmed the development during a briefing at the Secretariat. He added that all previously issued passes have been canceled and that the process for applying for new accreditation cards will be announced soon.

The temporary restriction was implemented after a devastating fire broke out in Building No. 7 of the Secretariat. On Friday, the interim government had revoked all temporary passes for private individuals and suspended journalists' access with accreditation cards until further notice.

This new measure aims to facilitate media access while maintaining security and allowing ongoing investigations to proceed unhindered.

Journalists are advised to contact the Directorate of Information for further details regarding the issuance of temporary passes.

END/MSS/AJ