Al-Arafah Islami Bank’s Executive Vice President Jalal Ahmed has explained the reason for terminating 547 permanent and temporary officials of the bank.
On Saturday morning, the 547 terminated officials held a press conference at the National Press Club in Dhaka, demanding their reinstatement along with seven other points. They alleged that they were dismissed without proper justification and with ulterior motives.
Later that evening, the bank issued a press release stating that the dismissals followed an assessment test conducted by the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) of Dhaka University. The bank described this as a valid and recognised method of evaluating merit, especially since the original hiring process was based on recommendations, lacked transparency, and violated regulations – as proven in an audit.
The press release further mentioned that 1,414 officials participated in the assessment test. Of these, 864 met the required standards and passed, while 547 failed to achieve the benchmark.
The bank clarified that those who failed were let go through a dignified and humane process in accordance with applicable laws, the bank’s service regulations, and Bangladesh Labor Law.
However, the terminated employees claimed at the press conference that the so-called “assessment test” was actually a disguised recruitment exam, calling it deceptive.
Mostafizur Rahman, an official from the Cox’s Bazar branch, said, “When we entered the exam hall, we realised it wasn’t an evaluation but a new recruitment test – something we were never informed about beforehand.”
He added, “Our appointment letters stated that we could be terminated within one year if found incompetent. But many of us have been working for two to five years. How can they dismiss us by violating their own rule?”
In response, the bank’s press release stated that attempts to create chaos by misrepresenting a transparent, legal, and fair process were unacceptable, undesirable, unlawful, and against national interests.