Al-Arafah Islami Bank PLC celebrated its 31st anniversary on Sunday, marking more than three decades of Shariah-compliant banking operations with events held at its head office and across 226 branches and 89 sub-branches nationwide.
The anniversary programme was held on 27 September 2026 under the slogan “31 years with Shariah, at the peak of trust”, featuring discussions, prayers and supplications. The head office event was attended by Badiur Rahman, chairman of the bank’s board of directors, as the chief guest, the bank said in a press release.
Vice-chairman of the board of directors Liaquat Ali Chowdhury, directors Khalilur Rahman, Selim Rahman, Hafiz Md Enayet Ullah, Ahmedul Hoque, Mohammad Abdus Salam, Engineer Khandaker Mezbah Uddin Ahmed, Md Rafiqul Islam and SM Zahir Uddin Haider FCMA, along with observer Muhammad Anisur Rahman, director of the Islamic Banking Regulation and Policy Department of Bangladesh Bank, attended the programme.
The event was presided over by Managing Director Md Rafat Ullah Khan. Deputy Managing Directors Md Fazlur Rahman Chowdhury, Md Asaduzzaman Bhuiyan, Aminul Islam Bhuiyan and SM Abu Jafar, along with Syed Abul Hashem FCA, FCMA, heads of different departments and senior executives were also present.
In his speech, Badiur Rahman thanked customers, well-wishers and stakeholders, saying the bank had continued its journey based on the core value of “Always Shariah” since its establishment in 1995.
“The trust, cooperation and goodwill of our customers and stakeholders have remained our greatest strength throughout this journey,” he said, adding that the bank would continue to move forward as a stronger and more modern Islamic bank while keeping Shariah at its core.
Selim Rahman, chairman of the executive committee, said the slogan “31 years with Shariah, at the peak of trust” reflected the bank’s journey, achievements and customer confidence. He highlighted the bank’s network, workforce of nearly 6,000 employees, business channels and operations as major achievements.
He said the bank was also working to strengthen corporate governance, transparency and accountability while improving services through digital transformation and process development.
Managing Director Md Rafat Ullah Khan expressed gratitude to board members, regulators, customers, stakeholders and employees, saying changing customer needs and expectations were driving the bank to expand services in areas including digital banking, retail and SME banking and remittance.
Over its three-decade journey, Al-Arafah Islami Bank has established itself as a trusted institution in Bangladesh’s economy, the bank said. It currently serves 4.2 million customers with deposits of around Tk54,000 crore.
The bank’s nationwide network includes 226 branches, 89 sub-branches, 738 agent banking outlets and 254 ATM and CRM outlets. Through digital platforms, including AIB i-banking and Islamic Wallet, customers can conduct fast and secure transactions from anywhere at any time.
The bank expressed gratitude to Allah, customers, depositors, shareholders, board members, regulators, business partners, media and employees for their continued support on the occasion of its 31st anniversary.
