A delegation from the economic reporters' apex body - ERF - has demanded hassle-free and unrestricted entry into the Bangladesh Bank (BB) headquarters.
The Economic Reporters' Forum placed the demand during a meeting with the BB governor on Thursday regarding the restrictions on financial journalists' access to the central bank.
ERF president Refayet Ullah Mirdha and general secretary Abul Kashem sat with BB governor Abdur Rouf Talukder the same day, reads an ERF statement.
The ERF urged the governor to ensure the right to enter the BB's head office for professional purposes.
According to the statement, reporters have never faced such a situation over the past 53 years and it may lead to distorted news stories for all types of media outlets.
However, journalists will only be able to visit the spokesperson for the BB at the headquarters using a specific permit issued by the bank, says Mezbaul Haque, the Bangladesh Bank spokesperson.
The central bank's decision came at a time when its departments were in talks with a team of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding its $4.7-billion loan package for Bangladesh.
Mr Talukder in his meeting with the ERF team mentioned that reporters published some top-secret documents that cast negative impacts on the banking sector.
In the meantime, the BB in partnership with the ERF will organise two separate workshops on the mergers and acquisitions of the banks.
The workshop may take place after May 08.
The governor, however, refused to withdraw its curbs on the free movement of reporters at the BB.
He, however, said the BB might consider reporters' entry issue after conducting the workshops.
Meanwhile, the ERF has formed a committee under the leadership of Mr Mirdha to review the situation and will take its next course of action.
Earlier in the day, journalists condemned the restrictions and protested outside the office of the governor.
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