Personal data of 14,000 journalists leaked from EC website

Information of around 14,000 journalists who had applied to cover election-related news was inadvertently exposed from the Election Commission’s (EC) website, raising concerns over data security ahead of Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliament elections and referendum.

The EC had recently introduced an online system requiring journalists to apply for accreditation and car stickers through its designated portal, pr.ecs.gov.bd. 

The move, aimed at modernising the process, faced criticism from media professionals and was withdrawn last Thursday. 

By that time, 14,000 journalists had already submitted their applications.

On Saturday, January 31, at around 4 pm, the application details – including names, national ID numbers, mobile numbers, and links to full applications – became visible on the website’s homepage. 

Anyone accessing the portal could reportedly view the full list without logging in, exposing sensitive personal information.

Kazi Jebel, President of the Reporters Forum for Elections and Democracy (RFED) and a special correspondent of Daily Jugantor, expressed regret over the incident. 

“Our opinion was not taken before finalising the online system. No certification was provided regarding its technical and security aspects. If there was a flaw, it is not surprising,” he said.

Ruhul Amin Mallick, Director of the EC’s Public Relations Wing, said the online system had been closed but acknowledged that an administrator reopened it briefly, causing the leak. 

Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat Akhtar Ahmed added that the online card issuance has now been stopped, though he was unsure if the journalists’ data had been compromised during the brief exposure.