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Personal mobile phone data—including call records, locations and other sensitive information—can reportedly be purchased online in Bangladesh for a small fee, raising serious concerns over privacy and national security.
An investigation report found that a minister’s three-month call detail record (CDR) could be obtained within hours after paying Tk1,050. The record contained details of calls, including whom the minister contacted, call durations and locations. The minister later checked the information against his phone and confirmed that it was accurate, reportedly asking, “How is this possible?”
The newspaper also obtained CDRs of two senior officials from important telecommunications and IT agencies and two of its employees, finding all the records accurate.
An online market has reportedly emerged for such data, with sellers operating through websites, Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp. Services include CDRs, mobile locations, NID information, passport records and financial transaction details. A six-month CDR reportedly costs Tk1,200.
The investigation found that the problem extends beyond ordinary citizens. Data of senior government officials can also be obtained, raising concerns about potential security risks.
BTRC Chairman Maj Gen (retd) Md Emdad-ul-Bari said the commercial sale of citizens’ personal information poses a risk to national security. He said the regulator was working with law enforcement agencies to identify those involved.
Mobile operators are legally required to retain call and SMS records, while authorised law-enforcement and intelligence agencies have access to the databases. Operators, however, said they maintain strict controls over access.
Experts say the apparent availability of sensitive data indicates serious weaknesses in the country’s information-security system. Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman called for a high-priority investigation to identify those responsible and strengthen safeguards against data leaks.