Personal information of about 14,000 journalists seeking to cover Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliamentary Election and Referendum was leaked after becoming publicly accessible on the Election Commission’s online system, according to reports in the local Bangladeshi media.
Sensitive data, including National Identity Card numbers, mobile numbers and application copies, appeared Saturday on the Election Commission website, pr.ecs.gov.bd. After about 4 p.m. The full list of applicants showed on the homepage with an option to view each application.
The site later became inaccessible.
The Election Commission recently required online applications for press cards and vehicle stickers, but the Nasir Uddin-led commission reversed the move on Thursday after protests, returning to manual submissions.
Md. Ruhul Amin Mallick, director of the Election Commission’s public relations wing, said, “We shut down the online system on Friday.”