Bangladesh enforces new restrictions to curb journalists' access to the government

Bangladesh's interim government has revoked the accreditation cards of journalists for security reasons, restricting their access to the Secretariat. On Friday, the country's home ministry issued an order enforcing these restrictions. The Bangladesh Secretariat, located in Segunbagicha, Dhaka, is the administrative headquarters, housing most ministries, government agencies, and bodies. Typically, the Press Information Department (PID) issues accreditation cards to journalists for news gathering. A press release from the home ministry stated, "Access to the Secretariat through accreditation cards issued to journalists is hereby cancelled until further notice."

On August 5, a student-led movement forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign after weeks of protests and clashes that resulted in over 600 deaths. Hasina, 76, fled to India, and an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed. The office of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus cited safety and security concerns for the decision to limit journalists' access to the Secretariat. "The decision to restrict journalists' access to the Secretariat was made due to safety and security reasons related to the Key Point Installation (KPI), which was severely damaged by a fire earlier this week," the Chief Adviser's office said in a statement on Saturday. "The government will review the current press accreditation cards and soon invite new applications from local and international media outlets for the Press Information Department to issue fresh accreditation cards."

The statement further mentioned that temporary daily access cards would be provided by the respective ministries for any press events. "In the meantime, temporary daily access cards will be issued by respective ministries for any press events. The government regrets any inconvenience caused and seeks cooperation from journalists," the Chief Adviser's office added. (ANI)