Bangladesh Secretariat

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Bangladesh Secretariat
বাংলাদেশ সচিবালয়
Government Seal of Bangladesh.svg
Government Seal of Bangladesh
Bangladesh Secretariat gate.jpg
Entrance of the secretariat building
Bangladesh Secretariat
General information
TypeGovernment building
Location Dhaka, Bangladesh
AddressAbdul Gani Road, Segunbagicha
Coordinates 23°43′44″N90°24′31″E / 23.7288°N 90.4086°E / 23.7288; 90.4086
Construction started1947
Completed1969
Owner Government of Bangladesh
Other information
Public transit access  MRT Line 6   Bangladesh Secretariat

The Bangladesh Secretariat, also known as Bangladesh Sachibalaya or Old Secretariat, is the administrative headquarters of the Government of Bangladesh, and houses the majority of ministries and government agencies and bodies. [1] The secretariat can refer to the complex of ministries, or refer to the Bangladesh Civil Service central administration. Its political heads are the ministers while the administrative heads are the Secretaries to the Government. It is located in Bangladesh's capital city of Dhaka in the neighbourhood of Segunbagicha in the thana of Shahbagh. The Secretariat complex was originally constructed as Secretariat of East Pakistan. [2]

Contents

History

The Daily Star reported on 15 July 2009 that the Bangladesh Secretariat was filled with lobbyists who were interfering with the duties of ministers and secretaries. [3] Despite Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina calling for an end to lobbying at the secretariat, the Bangladesh Secretariat received 1200 visitors a day. [3]

On 9 May 2015, the ICT Division started providing free WiFi at their Bangladesh Secretariat. [4]

The Cabinet Division declared the Bangladesh Secretariat a smoke-free zone on 24 October 2017. [5]

Mohammed Nasim, the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, got stuck in a lift at the Bangladesh Secretariat for 23 minutes on 10 October 2016. It was a new lift that had been installed only for his usage. [6]

On 7 July 2019, there was a fire at the Bangladesh Secretariat. The fire originated from the seventh floor of building six. [7]

In March 2020, the Bangladesh Secretariat announced new restrictions on entrance due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. [8] On 1 June 2020, the government announced that only 25 percent of the officials of Bangladesh Secretariat will work there physically while the about the same will work from home due to the pandemic. [9]

Rozina Islam, a journalist for the daily Prothom Alo, was confined at the Bangladesh Secretariat for five hours and had her mobile phones seized after she went there to report on the Health Ministry on 17 April 2021. [10] She was harassed and assaulted during her detention at the secretariat. [11] After which Sibbir Ahmed Osmani, Deputy Secretary of the Health Ministry, filed a case against her under the Official Secrets Act of 1923. [10] A subsequent press conference by the Ministry of Health in the Bangladesh Secretariat was boycotted by journalists following a decision of the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters' Forum. [12]

Proposal for a new Secretariat

A new Secretariat in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar has been purported for many years by the government to bring the secretariat closer to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). [13] The new building is being considered to take full account of the designs of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban building, made by world famous architect Louis Kahn. [14] A committee to suggest alternatives to the current building has been set up by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. [15] Four nine-storied buildings with 14-storey foundation will be constructed on 32 acres of land. [16]

Structure and Departments

[17]

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On April 17, 2021, Rozina Islam, a senior female reporter of the Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo, went to the Health Ministry office in the Bangladesh Secretariat for COVID-19 related reporting. She was confined in the ministry for five hours and her cell phones were seized. She was allegedly harassed and assaulted during her detention at the secretariat. She was then arrested from the Ministry for alleged theft and taking photographs of sensitive state documents. Sibbir Ahmed Osmani, Deputy Secretary of the Health Services Division, filed a case against her around midnight of April 17, 2021 with Shahbagh police station under the Official Secrets Act. She was jailed in Dhaka Kashimpur Women's Central Jail amid widespread protests. A virtual hearing for her bail was held on May 20, 2021, later the court announced the decision would be delayed to May 23, 2021, and on that day she was granted a conditional bail after being imprisoned for 7 days.

References

  1. ↑ "Bangladesh Secretariat". The Daily Star.
  2. ↑ "Secretariat". Banglapedia.
  3. 1 2 "Lobbying in Bangladesh secretariat". The Daily Star. 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  4. ↑ "Free Wi-Fi service launched at Bangladesh Secretariat". The Daily Star. 2015-01-12. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  5. ↑ "Bangladesh Secretariat now a smoke-free zone". Dhaka Tribune. 2017-10-24. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  6. ↑ "Nasim stays stuck in lift for 23 minutes at Bangladesh Secretariat". Dhaka Tribune. 2016-10-10. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  7. ↑ "Fire at Secretariat building under control". Dhaka Tribune. 2019-07-07. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  8. ↑ "Coronavirus: Entry restricted at secretariat". Dhaka Tribune. 2020-03-19. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  9. ↑ "Only 25% secretariat officials to attend office physically". Dhaka Tribune. 2020-06-01. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  10. 1 2 "Prothom Alo journo Rozina Islam arrested in Official Secrets Act case". Dhaka Tribune. 2021-05-17. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  11. ↑ "Family says will sue Secretariat officials who assaulted Rozina". The Daily Star. 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  12. ↑ "Rozina's arrest: Journalists boycott health ministry press conference in protest". The Daily Star. 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  13. ↑ "Move to relocate Secretariat to Sher-e-Bangla Nagar". Daily Sun.
  14. ↑ "Secretariat Complex at Sher-e -Bangla Nagar - An Architectural Repercussion of Kahn's Vision". 26 April 2017.
  15. ↑ "Govt plans new Secretariat at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar despite Planning Commission objections". bdnews24.com.
  16. ↑ "Secretariat to be relocated to Sher-e-Bangla Nagar". Dhaka Tribune. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  17. ↑ মন্ত্রণালয়ওবিভাগসমূহ(সংশ্লিষ্টওয়েবসাইটেপ্রবেশকরতেক্লিককরুন) -Cabinet Division-Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh - মন্ত্রিপরিষদ বিভাগ-গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ সরকার. www.cabinet.gov.bd.
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