Disgruntled officials and employees of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) staged a demonstration outside the bank's headquarters in Dhaka on Tuesday, demanding overdue promotions and benefits.
The protesters also called for the dismissal of staff who joined IBBL after 2017.
The demonstrators alleged they have been deprived of various benefits for over a decade, following changes in the bank's ownership and board members.
Tensions escalated as some employees vandalised portraits of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina who resigned and fled Bangladesh on Monday following a mass uprising.
The protesters also sought accountability for senior officials of the S Alam Group and their appointees at IBBL. According to bank sources, the managing director and deputy managing director were absent from the office on Tuesday.
A senior official from Islami Bank criticised the appointments of these executives, stating, "These officers were appointed with the backing of Sheikh Hasina and the S Alam Group, bypassing proper appointment procedures."
The Certified Bank Auditors (CBA) of the bank gathered outside the bank's Motijheel head office demanding a series of changes. CBA leader Anisur Rahman stated that the bank would soon regain its former state, and executives who joined after 2017 would be barred from entry.”
“This is supported by the managing director, who has sent me as his representative,” he added.
Anisur Rahman announced that all unlawful recruitments made since 2017 would be annulled, and those wrongfully terminated would be reinstated. Additionally, employees who have been denied promotions over the past seven years would receive their due advancements.
Dr Kamal Uddin Jasim, SVP and head of Operations at Islami Bank, emphasised the significance of their actions, saying, “We achieved a second freedom through our efforts. With determination, we must secure this victory.”
Kamal Uddin Jasim also confirmed that discussions with the managing director had commenced, and the process of reversing all illegal appointments since 2017 had already begun.
On the same day, IBBL expressed condolences for those who lost their lives during the quota reform movement by holding special prayers and ceremonies at its head office, 16 zone offices, 395 branches, sub-branches, and agent banking outlets. The events were conducted to honour the martyrs and to wish for the swift recovery of those injured during the movement.
The S Alam Group began acquiring significant shares of IBBL in late 2016 and early 2017, effectively taking control of the bank. Since then, the bank has faced several crises and controversies, including an acute liquidity shortage that has led to a halt in large loan disbursements.
According to a June report submitted to the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the shareholding of IBBL's sponsors and directors fell to 41.90 per cent by the end of June from 55.06 per cent in December of the previous year.
