BD: 14,000 journos’ personal data leaked online

According to Observer Online Report, a major technical failure at the Bangladesh Election Commission (EC) website exposed the sensitive personal data of approximately 14,000 journalists. The leaked information included National ID numbers, mobile phone numbers, and full application copies of media professionals who had registered online for accreditation cards and vehicle stickers ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and national referendum.

The breach occurred via the EC’s dedicated portal, pr.ecs.gov[.]bd, which had been launched to modernise the accreditation process. On Saturday afternoon around 4:00 PM, users found that logging into the site immediately displayed a comprehensive list of all applicants on the home page, with the system allowing access to full application files revealing private contact details and identification numbers. Access to the website was disabled shortly after the vulnerability was discovered.