Unauthorised visitors rise at Secretariat despite pass system
Secretariat Security Review Planned as Concerns Grow Over Unauthorised Access
Bdbusinessdaily.com – Bangladesh’s Secretariat is preparing for a renewed review of its visitor-control system after allegations that people have been entering the country’s main administrative complex without valid digital passes or written approval from ministry officials. The issue has raised concerns about both security and the ability of government offices to maintain a normal working environment.
The Secretariat already operates an online pass arrangement intended to regulate public access. Visitors are expected to register through the Home Ministry website, seek a gate pass, and complete one-time password verification before entering. Yet complaints indicate that this process has not always been followed at entry points, allowing some people to gain access without meeting the required conditions.
A cabinet-level meeting has been scheduled for Sunday, 4 October, to examine the situation and consider further action. The cabinet secretary will chair the meeting, which is expected to include senior representatives from the ministries of home affairs, finance, housing and public works, and public administration. Police officials and personnel from the Secretariat Security Division will also take part.
Complaints Trigger Investigation
Concerns over improper entry have reached both the Home Ministry and the Cabinet Division. The complaints allege that law-enforcement personnel assigned to the gates assisted visitors who did not have approved passes, valid OTPs, or authorisation letters from relevant ministry officials.
On 24 September, a complaint was filed against nine police personnel over allegations that visitors were allowed inside despite lacking valid passes. Intelligence officials subsequently examined the claims.
A Cabinet Division official said the inquiry found allegations that some people had been admitted without their OTPs being properly checked. The same official said there were claims that money had been involved in facilitating entry in some cases. The investigation also brought attention to alleged involvement by the bodyguard of an influential state minister.
However, the official said direct involvement by the police personnel accused in the complaint could not be conclusively established. Even so, the episode has underscored the importance of reliable verification at gates where large numbers of officials, staff members, visitors, documents, and parcels move through each day.
Why Access Rules Matter
The Bangladesh Secretariat is home to major government ministries and central administrative offices, making access control a matter that extends beyond routine visitor management. A pass system helps offices know who has entered the premises, whom they are meeting, and whether the visit has been authorised.
When visitors enter outside the established process, officials may face difficulties tracking movement within the complex. Unregulated access can also disrupt office work, increase congestion near ministry buildings, and create uncertainty for security staff responsible for screening people and materials.
The Home Ministry highlighted these risks in a directive issued on 30 September. It warned that an increase in visitors entering without proper passes or permission could create security concerns and interfere with the regular functioning of the Secretariat. Officials were instructed to ensure that OTPs are verified correctly before visitors are permitted through the gates.
The directive places fresh emphasis on a basic part of the existing system: a pass alone is not meant to be sufficient unless the associated OTP is checked. Effective enforcement depends on staff applying that rule consistently, regardless of a visitor’s purpose or connections.
Technology Measures Under Consideration
Steps are also being considered to strengthen screening through additional equipment. On 28 September, the Home Ministry formed a committee to assess improvements to the Secretariat’s security arrangements.
The committee includes representatives of the Home Ministry, Secretariat Security Division, Special Security Force, Bangladesh Computer Council, and the ministry’s ICT Cell. Its work includes evaluating the need for a luggage scanner at the main entrance of Building 2 and examining the installation of kiosk machines at Buildings 1 and 2 for OTP verification.
The group will determine how many kiosks may be required, what technical features they should have, and the likely cost of the equipment. It will also prepare technical specifications and cost estimates for a scanner capable of examining bags and parcels entering Building 2.
Such measures could reduce dependence on manual checking if they are integrated carefully into existing procedures. Kiosk-based OTP validation, for example, could provide a more consistent way to confirm whether a visitor’s digital permission is active before security personnel allow entry. Screening equipment for bags and parcels would address a separate but related part of access control.
Existing Pass Quotas Remain in Force
The Secretariat’s visitor system already includes limits on the number of passes that can be issued by offices at different administrative levels. Since April, private secretaries to ministers or equivalent advisers have been able to issue up to 20 passes. Private secretaries to state ministers or equivalent advisers may issue up to 15.
Private secretaries serving the cabinet secretary, senior secretaries, and secretaries can each issue 10 passes. Additional secretaries have a limit of four passes, while joint secretaries may issue three. OTP verification remains compulsory when passes are issued.
These quotas are designed to keep the volume of visitors manageable while allowing ministries to receive people for official business. Their effectiveness, however, depends on the final gate-level check. If people can bypass OTP confirmation or enter without formal clearance, the controls built into the online application process lose much of their value.
Visitor entry is normally suspended on Mondays and Thursdays because of Cabinet meetings and other important official activities. Despite those restrictions, visitors have continued to be seen at the Secretariat on such days. This has added to the urgency of reviewing whether the rules are being understood and applied consistently across all entrances.
The upcoming meeting is expected to focus on how the present pass system is working in practice, what weaknesses remain, and whether technological upgrades or tighter operational oversight are needed. For the public, the central issue is straightforward: access to a key government complex must be orderly, verifiable, and governed by the same rules at every gate.
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