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12-Member Committee to Finalize SRS

EC Steps Up to Digitulate Journalist Cards: Key Meeting Monday for Safe Software

Election Commission moves to design a secure software for issuing press passes and observer cards

12-member committee to convene on Monday (September 20) to finalize Software Requirement Specifications (SRS)

RFED, Ministry of Information, and PID representatives to participate to prevent data breach risks

Senior Correspondent

Sep 19, 2026 19:21

To bring transparency and efficiency to issuing press passes for election reporting, the Election Commission (EC) has initiated the development of a dedicated software platform. A meeting of the 12-member committee tasked with framing the 'Software Requirement Specification' (SRS) has been scheduled for Monday (September 20). Officials from the EC's Public Relations branch confirmed the development on Saturday (September 19).

Presided over by EC Additional Secretary Md. Samsul Alam, the meeting will take place at 11:00 AM in the conference room of the Election Building in Agargaon, Dhaka.

The committee meeting will be attended by Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy (RFED) President Kazi Imad Uddin Jebel, General Secretary Ekram-Ud Doula, along with senior representatives from the Ministry of Information, Press Information Department (PID), and the EC.

Prior to the 13th National Parliamentary Election on February 12, the previous commission abruptly introduced an untested portal to issue online press and observer passes. Due to security vulnerabilities in that rush-built website, sensitive personal data of nearly 14,000 journalists was exposed online. Following severe backlash from media outlets and civil society, the EC was forced to scrap the portal. Learning from past security flaws, the Commission is now taking a cautious approach by consulting relevant media stakeholders to build a robust, secure, and user-friendly system.
//DBTech/BNO/SME/MIST//