Islami Bank Conscious Customers’ Forum continued its protest on Thursday, demanding the removal of newly appointed Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC Chairman Khurshid Alam and pressing its seven-point charter of demands.
The Jamaat-e-Islami-backed forum held demonstrations in front of the bank’s head office in Dilkusha and several branches, calling for a one-hour pen-down programme from 10am to 11am across all offices of the bank. As protesters gathered outside some branches, a number of customers reportedly faced difficulties entering branch premises to receive services.
Sources said the pen-down programme was observed only sporadically, with a limited number of officials and employees at some branches temporarily refraining from work. Banking services at a few branches were affected for a short period before normal operations resumed. The situation returned to normal shortly after a warning was issued by the bank’s acting managing director.
Acting Managing Director Altaf Hossain said no instruction had been given to observe any pen-down programme. “No directive has been issued for a pen-down protest. Any official who fails to provide customer service will face action. Our employees are ready to serve customers,” he said.
Addressing a gathering in front of the bank’s head office in Motijheel, the forum’s convener Nur Nabi Manik claimed that a number of Islami Bank officials and employees had participated in the one-hour programme.
He said Khurshid Alam should be removed from the chairman’s post to safeguard depositors’ interests, warning that tougher programmes, including a possible siege of Bangladesh Bank, could follow if their demands are not met.
The forum’s other demands include reinstating former Managing Director Omar Faruk Khan, excluding individuals allegedly involved in bank looting from the board, repealing Section 18(ka) of the Bank Resolution Act, recovering allegedly looted funds through the sale of S Alam Group’s assets in Bangladesh, preventing the group from regaining control of any bank, and ensuring exemplary punishment for those responsible for alleged banking sector irregularities.
