[ad_1]
It has come to light that high-ranking members of Bangladesh’s counter-terrorism police may have compromised citizens’ sensitive data by selling it on Telegram, as uncovered by TechCrunch.
The incriminating sales encompassed a host of personal data, including the identity records of individuals, detailed phone logs, and confidential materials designated for internal security use, as confirmed by a letter penned by a prominent intelligence figure in Bangladesh, which TechCrunch has reviewed.
Dated April 28, the letter is authored by Brigadier General Mohammad Baker of the National Telecommunications Monitoring Center (NTMC) – the state’s surveillance organ. In dialogue with TechCrunch, Baker authenticated the letter and its claims.
Baker disclosed that ongoing departmental probes are scrutinizing the matters, and the Ministry of Home Affairs has directed the concerned law enforcement units to appropriately reprimand the identified officials.
The incriminatory letter, scripted in Bengali and addressed to the senior secretary of the Public Security Division at the Ministry of Home Affairs, accused two police individuals of trading “extremely sensitive information” on Telegram for monetary gains.
The charged investigation buttressed by NTMC tracked system logs and the frequency of access by the individuals in question.
The letter outs the officers – one being a superintendent with the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) and the other, a deputy assistant superintendent with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB 6), a unit under international scrutiny and U.S. sanctions for alleged human rights abuses. TechCrunch withholds their names pending charges in accordance with Bangladesh’s judicial procedures.
NTMC, under the Bangladesh Ministry of Home Affairs, is mandated to oversee all communications for threat deterrence. It has faced opposition from entities like Human Rights Watch and Freedom House for abuse of power and invasions of privacy, allowing government surveillance on dissenters through sophisticated systems sourced from Israeli and Western entities.
NTMC also operates the National Intelligence Platform (NIP), housing sensitive citizen data available to various national agencies.
Investigation revealed the misuse of NIP by the accused, resulting in a request for a comprehensive probe and subsequent retribution from the letter.
Baker, conversing with TechCrunch, mentioned numerous Telegram channels involved in this scandal, including BD CYBER GANG, although its exact identification on Telegram couldn’t be ascertained.
Contact Us
If you possess more insights about this case, or others alike, secure channels are open for communication: Signal (+1 917 257 1382), Telegram, Keybase, and Wire (@lorenzofb), or email for Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai; Signal (+36707723819), or X @ZulkarnainSaer for Zulkarnain Saer Khan; or via TechCrunch’s SecureDrop facility.
Further dialog with Baker uncovered that the intelligence passed through to a Telegram group admin who then purportedly proceeded to sell it.
Following the allegations, affected NIP user access from ATU and RAB 6 is suspended pending investigation and disciplinary measures, as confirmed by the letter and Baker.
Requests for comments from Bangladesh’s Home Affairs Ministry and ATU met with silence. An anonymous RAB 6 operations officer denied any comment on the subject to TechCrunch.
The previous year saw a whistleblower reveal NTMC’s open server data leak that jeopardized personal information. Other breaches reported by TechCrunch include compromised citizen data by the local registrar’s database.
Viktor Markopoulos, a Bitcrack Cyber Security analyst, brought these exposures to light.
These divulged incidents are grave; however, the allegations of data being willingly sold by ATU and RAB 6 operatives are of possibly more serious consequence. Personal information trafficking could be ongoing within government ranks, as indicated by a reliable government source to TechCrunch.
[ad_2]
FAQs about the Bangladeshi Data Selling Incident
- What type of data were the Bangladeshi police agents accused of selling?
- National identity details, cell phone call records, and other classified secret information.
- How were the police agents caught?
- Through analysis of logs from the NTMC systems and tracking their frequency of access.
- What action has been taken following the revelation?
- All NIP user access from ATU and RAB 6 has been suspended and a departmental investigation is ongoing.
- Have the accused been charged?
- It is not clear if they have been charged as TechCrunch is not naming them due to the uncertainty of legal proceedings.
- What is the NTMC?
- The National Telecommunications Monitoring Center is a government intelligence agency in Bangladesh tasked with monitoring telecommunications to ensure national security.
- Who can be contacted for more information on the incident?
- Information can be securely shared via Signal, Telegram, Keybase, Wire, or TechCrunch’s SecureDrop.
