Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a series of directives to tighten internal security, regulate visitor entry, and maintain overall discipline across the Bangladesh Secretariat.
According to circulars issued by the ministry, all officials, employees, and visitors must visibly display their identity cards at all times while inside the premises, while fresh restrictions have been placed on visitor entry and One-Time Password (OTP) issuance.
In a circular issued on Tuesday, Home Affairs Ministry Deputy Secretary Kazi Arifur Rahman instructed all officials and employees working across various ministries and divisions to keep their Secretariat access cards visibly displayed upon entry and throughout their stay.
The directive highlighted that permanent and temporary staff, meeting attendees, and visitors entering via OTPs frequent the premises daily. It noted that ensuring internal security has become imperative as the prime minister conducts official duties at the Secretariat every day.
Consequently, senior secretaries and secretaries of all ministries and divisions have been requested to issue corresponding instructions to personnel working under their respective purviews.
This order follows an earlier directive issued on 27 October 2026 by the deputy secretary to enhance security and effectively monitor visitors within the Secretariat.
Under these regulations, meetings with external offices or officials must be kept as limited as possible on Mondays and Thursdays, which are designated days when visitor entry is closed.
Moreover, the entry time for visitors has been rescheduled to 2pm instead of the previous 12pm, with OTPs to be issued in accordance with the revised timing.
To regulate visitor flow, the ministry specified that general visitors must not be granted an OTP more than once a week. Additionally, the issuance of OTPs for government officers travelling abroad must remain suspended during their period of overseas travel.
