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TL;DR
• Personal data of over 110 million Bangladeshi citizens stolen from Election Commission’s data center.
• Transactions worth 20,000 crore Taka (approx. $2.3 billion USD) linked to the data theft.
• Former data center director Tarek M. Barkatullah arrested; 19 named accused in the case.
• Investigation ongoing with 15-20 additional suspects believed to be involved in the collaborative breach.
Personal information of more than 110 million (11 crore) Bangladeshi citizens stored in the data center of the Election Commission (EC) has been stolen. The incident, which has sent shockwaves across the nation, is believed to involve transactions amounting to a staggering 20,000 crore Bangladeshi Taka (approximately $2.3 billion USD).
The alarming news was disclosed by Muhammad Talebur Rahman, Deputy Police Commissioner (DC) of the DMP Media and Public Relations Department, during a press conference held at the DMP Media Center on Wednesday, October 9th, 2024. Rahman revealed that Tarek M. Barkatullah, the former director of the data center, has been arrested in connection with the data theft. A case has been registered at the Kafrul police station in the capital, with 19 named accused individuals.
Rahman further stated, “There are 15 to 20 other accused besides this. We have initially come to know that they are involved in this work in collaboration with each other.”
The stolen personal information is believed to include sensitive details such as names, addresses, national identification numbers, and potentially even biometric data. The scale of the breach is unprecedented, affecting a significant portion of Bangladesh’s population of approximately 170 million people.
The incident has raised serious concerns about the security measures in place to protect citizens’ personal data and the vulnerability of government databases to cyber attacks. Experts have called for an immediate and thorough investigation into the matter, emphasizing the need for robust cybersecurity infrastructure and stringent data protection laws.
The Bangladesh government has yet to release an official statement addressing the data breach and outlining the steps being taken to mitigate the potential consequences. Citizens are advised to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to safeguard their personal information.
As the investigation unfolds, the nation anxiously awaits further details about the extent of the breach, the individuals involved, and the measures being implemented to prevent such incidents in the future. The data theft scandal has not only exposed the fragility of digital security but also raised questions about the accountability and transparency of government institutions entrusted with safeguarding citizens’ sensitive information.
Source: Kalbela
