Bangladeshi police agents accused of selling citizens’ personal information on Telegram

Reports have emerged that two senior officials working for anti-terror police in Bangladesh have been involved in the collection and sale of classified and personal information of citizens to criminals on Telegram, according to sources. The data allegedly sold included national identity details, cell phone call records, and other sensitive information.

The letter, dated April 28 and signed by Brigadier General Mohammad Baker, director of Bangladesh’s National Telecommunications Monitoring Center (NTMC), confirmed the allegations. The letter addressed the senior secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Public Security Division, alleging that the police agents accessed and passed sensitive information of private citizens on Telegram in exchange for money.

The accused officials, a police superintendent from the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) and an assistant police superintendent deputy from the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB 6), are under investigation. The NTMC, responsible for monitoring telecommunications traffic to prevent security threats, detected the unauthorized access and transfer of classified data.

The NTMC’s National Intelligence Platform (NIP) holds classified citizen information, and the accused agents were found to have accessed irrelevant data. Organizations like Human Rights Watch have criticized NTMC for lacking safeguards against abuses and conducting mass surveillance on opposition members and activists.

The investigation revealed that the agents sent information to a Telegram group administrator for potential sale. As a result, all NIP users from ATU and RAB 6 have had their access suspended until further action is taken. The Ministry of Home Affairs and ATU did not respond to requests for comment.

This incident follows previous data leaks involving the NTMC and other government agencies, highlighting the importance of safeguarding personal information. While the investigation is ongoing, concerns remain about the unauthorized sale of citizens’ data by government officials.

A government source mentioned that despite the ongoing investigation, there are still officials offering to sell citizens’ data, indicating a persistent issue that needs to be addressed.