A complaint names nine police personnel over alleged unauthorised entry, while an inquiry reportedly found a possible link to a state minister’s gunman.
A view of the Secretariat. File Photo: Mehedi Hasan/TBS
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A view of the Secretariat. File Photo: Mehedi Hasan/TBS
The Cabinet Division has called a meeting tomorrow (4 October) to review the current visitor-entry system at Bangladesh Secretariat and determine measures to curb the growing number of people entering without valid passes or authorisation.
Complaints have been submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Cabinet Division alleging that hundreds of people are entering the Secretariat every day without the one-time passwords (OTPs) or permission letters issued by ministry officials, allegedly with assistance from law enforcement personnel stationed at the entry gates.
According to Cabinet Division sources, a complaint was filed on 24 September against nine police personnel deployed at the entry gates for allegedly allowing visitors to enter without valid passes. Intelligence personnel working at the Secretariat subsequently investigated the matter.
A Cabinet Division official, speaking to TBS on condition of anonymity, said some law enforcement personnel deployed at different gates had allegedly been allowing visitors to enter without verifying their OTPs. There have also been allegations that money was taken from some visitors.
The official claimed that the alleged involvement of a gunman of an influential state minister had emerged during the inquiry. However, the investigation did not establish the direct involvement of the nine police personnel named in the complaint, the official said.
Against this backdrop, the Cabinet Division has scheduled the meeting for 4 October under the chairmanship of the Cabinet secretary. Secretaries of the home ministry, finance ministry, housing and public works ministry and public administration ministry, along with officials from police and the Secretariat Security Division, have been asked to attend.
Ahead of the meeting, the Home Ministry’s Secretariat Security Branch issued a directive on 30 September, signed by Deputy Secretary Tofail Hossain, saying the trend of visitors entering the Secretariat without proper passes or authorisation had recently increased.
The directive said unauthorised entry could pose a security risk to the Secretariat and disrupt the normal working environment of government offices.
It instructed the relevant authorities to properly verify visitors’ OTPs before allowing them to enter the Secretariat.
Technology upgrades planned
On 28 September, shortly before the latest restrictions on visitor entry, the home ministry also took an initiative to strengthen security through technological upgrades.
A committee was formed to assess the requirements for installing a luggage scanner at the main entrance of Secretariat Building 2 and kiosk machines at Buildings 1 and 2 for verifying visitors’ pass OTPs.
Officials from the home ministry, Secretariat Security Branch, Special Security Force at the Prime Minister’s Office, Bangladesh Computer Council and the ICT Cell of the home ministry have been included in the committee.
The committee will determine the number of kiosks required for OTP verification, as well as prepare their technical specifications and official cost estimates.
It will also prepare technical specifications and cost estimates for a luggage scanner to screen bags and parcels carried by officials, employees and visitors entering Building 2.
Online system already in place
An online system for obtaining visitor passes is already in place. The home ministry’s website provides an online application service for entry passes to the Secretariat, with general visitors required to register and apply for a gate pass through the prescribed procedure.
A quota system for issuing visitor passes has also been in place since April this year.
Under the quota, the private secretary to a minister or adviser of equivalent rank can issue up to 20 passes, while the private secretary to a state minister or adviser of equivalent rank can issue up to 15.
The private secretaries to the Cabinet secretary, senior secretaries and secretaries can issue 10 passes each, while additional secretaries can issue four and joint secretaries three passes each.
The OTP system must be used when issuing the passes.
Visitor passes are not issued on Mondays and Thursdays, taking into account Cabinet meetings and other important activities at the Secretariat. Despite the restriction, many visitors are still seen entering the Secretariat on those two days.
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