Data of over 1.8M Bangladeshis found on dark web
Cybersecurity report identifies thousands of exposed login credentials, raising concerns over personal data protection and digital security
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Personal information belonging to more than 1.8 million people in Bangladesh has been discovered on the dark web, alongside at least 17,362 sets of login credentials, exposing significant vulnerabilities in the country’s digital infrastructure, according to a new cybersecurity report.
The findings were released Thursday by CyberStation, the cybersecurity division of Bangladeshi technology company Brain Station 23 PLC, during the Bangladesh Cyber Resilience Briefing 2026 in Dhaka.
The report examined 767 internet domains across 15 sectors, identifying evidence of personal data exposure in nearly all of them. Researchers warned that the figures represented minimum estimates and that the actual scale of compromised information could be considerably higher.
Government services accounted for the largest share of exposed citizens’ data, while the technology and telecommunications sectors recorded the highest rates of data exposure.
The findings raise concerns about the security of personal information as Bangladesh expands its digital public services, online banking and telecommunications infrastructure.
The dark web refers to parts of the internet that are not accessible through conventional search engines and require specialized software to access. Although it has legitimate uses, it also hosts marketplaces where criminals trade stolen personal information, passwords and other sensitive data.
Exposed login credentials can potentially enable cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access to online accounts, commit identity theft, carry out financial fraud or launch further cyberattacks.
Mohibbullah Moktadir Tanim, head of cybersecurity services at CyberStation, stressed the importance of identifying vulnerabilities before stolen information could be exploited.
“We cannot mitigate risks that we cannot see,” he told participants.
Tanim said understanding which information had been exposed was essential to developing preventive measures and reducing the possibility of criminal misuse.
Brain Station 23 Executive Director M J Ferdous called for reducing dependence on foreign software, arguing that stronger domestic technological capabilities would help Bangladesh improve its cybersecurity infrastructure.
Cybersecurity analyst Tanvir Hasan Zoha emphasized public awareness and preventive strategies as essential components of protecting personal information.
The briefing brought together approximately 150 representatives from government agencies, financial institutions, telecommunications companies, technology firms, educational institutions and regulatory bodies.
Participants discussed the risks associated with information circulating on the dark web and the need for cooperation among public institutions, private companies and cybersecurity professionals.
The report did not establish whether all the exposed information originated from recent breaches or had accumulated from earlier security incidents. It also did not identify the specific government databases or institutions responsible for the largest exposures.
The findings underscore the challenges facing Bangladesh in protecting citizens’ personal information as more essential services move online.
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