Bangladesh Photo Journalists Association (BPJA) yesterday expressed its anguish and condemnation for restricting the invited photo journalists by the security force from attending the opening function of the Ekushey Book Fair.

Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia inaugurated the fair at the Bangla Academy yesterday morning.

BPJA in a statement regretted that the nation was deprived of the photographs of the opening session due to the government's hindrances to the press photographers in discharging their professional duties.

The statement further added it has been observed for quite sometime that photo journalists of the rfa-tional newspapers were not l>elng able to cover the Prime Minister s projection rallies when pictures of the PM's programmes were being supplied by a controversial news agency' at the government's cost.

BPJA. however, hoped that the government would ensure necessary cooperations in discharging the professional duty independently by the photo journalists.