The website of Bangladesh Bank has been taken offline as a precautionary measure following an urgent security concern.

A Bangladesh Bank official said on Thursday (October 22) that the move was not limited to the central bank but was part of a broader precautionary response to a global security alert. The website will be restored after the risks have been assessed, the official added.

Arif Hossain Khan, executive director and spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank, confirmed that the website had been shut down due to an urgent security issue. He said the step was taken as a precaution to avoid potential security risks.

Sources at the central bank said work was underway to identify and address vulnerabilities in the website. Authorities plan to restore access after reviewing the risks and implementing the necessary security measures.

### Global Alert Over PHP Vulnerabilities

According to relevant sources and reports in international media, a global alert has been issued over two serious security vulnerabilities involving the PHP programming language.

The flaws could potentially allow attackers to execute unauthorised commands on remote servers. If exploited, they could put server files, databases and other sensitive information at risk.

Several other banks and institutions using PHP-based websites have reportedly taken precautionary measures alongside Bangladesh Bank. However, no confirmed information was available on whether the central bank’s website had been targeted in a cyberattack exploiting these vulnerabilities.

PHP is a widely used server-side programming language that powers websites and online services operated by government agencies, news organisations, e-commerce platforms and other institutions.

However, the use of PHP alone does not make a website vulnerable. The level of risk depends on factors including the software version in use, the installation of security updates and the effectiveness of server protection measures.

Cybersecurity experts say that in such situations, organisations should identify the PHP versions running on their servers and apply the necessary security updates. If the vulnerabilities cannot be fixed immediately, additional precautions may include deploying firewalls, restricting unauthorised connections and temporarily disconnecting affected servers from the internet if necessary.

The temporary shutdown of Bangladesh Bank’s website may cause inconvenience to users seeking central bank information and online services. However, no specific timeline has been announced for restoring the website.