The fire at the Secretariat, which gutted several floors of the building number 7 and caused a firefighter's death two days ago, has prompted stricter security measures surrounding the most important key point installation (KPI) of the country.
The eight-member probe committee, led by Home Ministry's Senior Secretary Dr. Nasimul Gani, formed to investigate the causes of December 26 (Early Thursday) fire at Secretariat held its second meeting at the Home Ministry conference room on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the ministries and divisions housed at the damaged Building number 7 of the Secretariat will start their regular activities in their new temporary offices from today.
According to the government decision, the arrangement of temporary office for the Road Transport and Highway's officers and employees was made at Railway Bhaban while the temporary office of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry would be at Dhaka South City Corporation's Nagar Bhaban, Post and Telecommunication Ministry at Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Youth and Sports Ministry at National Sports Council (NSC) building, Labour and Employment Ministry at Shram Bhaban in Bijoynagar, and Finance Division at Finance Ministry's new building.
Besides, the Home Ministry on Saturday formed a 'Special Cell for issuing Temporary Entry Passes'. The cell will start working from toady at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's (DMP) Crime Command and Control Center at Abdul Ghani Road near the Secretariat in Dhaka.
Ministry's Public Security Division's Senior assistant Secretary FM Touhidul Alam and Office Assistant Mrityunjoy Baroi will serve in the cell to receive applications and processing the entry passes to the Secretariat.
Earlier on Friday, the Home Ministry issued a notification, signed by Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Home Ministry Md Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, cancelling permanent and temporary passes except the passes of government employees and journalists assigned to cover Secretariat beat.
The persons whose passes were cancelled, have been asked to submit fresh applications for new passes to the Special Cell on Temporary Entry Passes mentioning the valid reasons of entry pass.
Besides, the journalists have been asked to refrain of entering the Secretariat as their rights to enter the most important KPI has been cancelled until further notice. But, the permanent and temporary entry passes (accreditation cards) of journalists were not cancelled.
The authorities concerned on Saturday assured that the decision to restrict entry of journalists to the Secretariat to cover the Secretariat beat would be reviewed soon.
Since Friday, official statements were made denying access or entry to the Secretariat over security reasons. However, some may see the move as a ploy to keep journalists away from investigation.
While one laid down emphasis on no entry for journalists indefinitely, another claimed that it is only temporary. There was also confusion about whether or not journalists accreditation cards were cancelled. Media access denied at Secretariat for until further notice, Home Ministry said on Friday.
Even journalists with accreditation cards will not be able to enter the building until further notice, reads a press statement signed by Khoda Baksh Chowdhury.
In the interest of increasing the overall security of the Secretariat, all types of temporary entry passes issued to non-government employees have been cancelled, reads the press statement.
