Bangladesh Bank will have to provide all information that public has a right to know, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Mohammad Ali Arafat, said today.

"We are working on how central banks in other countries operate and how much is the accessibility of journalists. We will try keep everything within the international standard," he said while speaking at a discussion at Jatiya Press Club.

The Editors' Council (Sampadak Parishad) organised the programme marking the World Press Freedom Day on "A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis".

Pointing to the central bank, Mohammad Ali Arafat said, "Let's say, they are taking some strategy as a regulator. For example, there have been some problems or indiscipline in the banking sector and they have taken some strategy to address this. If you reveal the strategy, then the thief will run away before getting caught. So, they will have to protect that information."

The state minister further said, "There should be a system so that they can open-up all information. At the same time, there should a system so that they can protect sensitive information."

The Editors' Council and Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (Noab) on April 30 condemned Bangladesh Bank's decision to impose restrictions on journalists' entry into its headquarters and demanded ensuring free access of journalists to the central bank.

The statement comes after the central bank on April 26 imposed strict restrictions on journalists' access to its building.

Mezbaul Haque, spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank, said that henceforth, journalists will only be able to visit the spokesperson and other officials of the bank at its building through using a specific permit issued by the bank.

"If an officer gives passes to journalists, then only that officer can be met. However, journalists will not be able to enter any department of the central bank freely as before," he added.

The Noab and the Editors' Council termed Mezbaul's speech as an expression of the undeclared ban on the entry of journalists.