Cancelling journalists’ accreditation cards was a mistake: Shafiqul Alam

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Mohammad Shafiqul Alam has said the decision to cancel the press accreditation cards used by journalists to enter the Secretariat was a mistake.

He made the remarks while speaking at a seminar on press freedom and legal protection for journalists, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka today (Thursday).

At the discussion, Shafiqul said cancelling the accreditation cards was a mistake. “But can any journalist or media outlet claim that journalists have been barred from entering the Secretariat?” he asked.

He added that around 600 journalists currently have access to the Secretariat.

“They are going in, reporting, and we are not receiving many complaints. However, the process has become slow,” the press secretary said.

Shafiqul Alam also mentioned that the government had formed a committee to oversee the issuance of accreditation cards for journalists. Based on the committee’s recommendations, the cards will be issued promptly.

“The committee made some suggestions, and I believe that implementing them will further improve the situation,” he said.