A technical flaw in an online application system introduced by Bangladesh’s Election Commission ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election has exposed the personal information of at least 14,000 journalists, including photographs, signatures and national ID details. The information remained accessible for about two hours before the portal was taken down.

The Election Commission had recently introduced new procedures for issuing accreditation cards for journalists and observers, as well as vehicle stickers, in the run-up to the election and a referendum. Under the revised process, journalists were required to apply online through a dedicated portal at pr.ecs.gov.bd to obtain the card and sticker.

After journalists raised objections, the commission reversed the decision on Thursday and said it would issue cards manually. Before that change, however, about 14,000 journalists had already submitted applications through the online system.

The applications contained sensitive information, including photographs, signatures, copies of national identity documents and office identity cards, as well as media outlet-related documents such as lists of journalists approved by news organisations. On Saturday, after 4 PM, the information became publicly visible on the website. Altering the website address by replacing “user” with “admin” allowed searches that returned complete application files and attached documents.

The website’s homepage displayed a list of applicants showing names, national ID numbers and mobile phone numbers, alongside an option to open full applications. It is unclear if people accessed or downloaded the information while it was visible.