Depositors locked branches of EXIM Bank and Union Bank in Chattogram on Monday, extending their protest for a second consecutive day over demands to cancel the “haircut” on deposits and restore normal banking transactions.
The demonstrators put a lock on the Agrabad branch of EXIM Bank after 11am.
They later locked a nearby Union Bank branch and continued their agitation. Police reached the spot and were trying to bring the situation under control.
Protesters said they had been paid profits in 2024 and 2025, but were now being told the banks had incurred losses over the past two years. They alleged that in 2026, authorities started deducting money from their principal deposits under the pretext of a “haircut”.
On Sunday, depositors launched the movement by locking five branches of merged Islamic banks in Khatungonj with the same demands. More than a hundred customers entered the premises after banking hours began and voiced anger over restrictions on withdrawals and the proposed haircut on deposits.
They said they had long been demanding cancellation of the haircut, restoration of normal transactions and return of their savings, but their demands remained unmet. The protesters warned they would expand the movement and continue locking branches until a solution was reached.
The unrest, which began in Khatungonj, a key commercial hub, has spread to Agrabad, raising concern among businesspeople and depositors.
Stakeholders said intervention from the central bank may be required to stabilise the situation.
