A journalist in Sylhet has reportedly faced harassment and bureaucratic hurdles from the police while trying to file a General Diary (GD) over the exposure of his personal and sensitive information from the Election Commission (EC) website.

Kabir Ahmed Chowdhury (Kabir Aahmed), Editor-in-Chief of Sylhettoday24.news and Editor-at-Large of Eyenews.news, submitted an online GD application to the Kotwali Model Thana of Sylhet Metropolitan Police last Sunday (February 15). Despite the digital system, he was instructed to visit the station in person for "further information."

Regarding the matter, Khan Md. Mainul Zakir, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kotwali Thana, said, "The status is showing this because not all information was filled out. He must come to the station to provide all details, then the GD will be accepted." However, Kabir Ahmed Chowdhury stated that he completed the application by providing all necessary data. "I have provided all the information required online," he said.

In the GD application, he mentioned, "On January 31, I became deeply concerned by news published in most national media that the personal and sensitive data (NID, photo, signature, mobile number, and professional identity) of 14,000 journalists have been exposed from the Election Commission. To apply for a journalist's card for the national election and referendum, I completed all registration steps on the EC website on January 30 using my mobile number. The election is over, and I have performed my professional duties. In the context of the data breach, I am concerned about various future risks. I feel it is necessary to record a general diary to ensure digital security and to remain free from liability for any crime resulting from the misuse of this information. However, I could not file the GD immediately due to election-related busy schedules."

Commenting on the police instruction to visit the station, Kabir Ahmed Chowdhury said, "The Election Commission is a constitutional state institution. If a state institution cannot protect the privacy of citizens' sensitive information, where should we go? We had the highest level of trust in the EC, but this breach has put us at risk. Like many others, I fear identity theft, blackmail, and professional crisis. There is a high risk of my bank accounts or mobile banking services being hacked or financial liabilities being created without my knowledge using my NID and mobile number. This exposure threatens my honor and social and professional image."

Questioning who would protect citizens if such data falls into the hands of criminals, he added, "How will we tackle the threat if this data reaches the Dark Web? The primary step for our protection is to inform the state and law enforcement authorities through a GD. But if the police advise appearing in person after an online application, what is the point of an online GD? I consider this harassment and non-cooperation with a citizen."

He further stated, "The data breach of thousands of journalists is a direct violation of Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which says no one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy. While the Constitution of Bangladesh protects these rights under Articles 43, 32, and 31, the EC's irresponsibility has compromised this protection. If the police administration gives instructions to visit the station despite an online application, it can be called nothing but harassment and non-cooperation."