Home
+
Published : 05 Oct 2025, 02:04 PM
A group of protesters have staged a demonstration outside the headquarters of Islami Bank in Dhaka, demanding the dismissal of employees who were allegedly appointed without following proper recruitment procedures after 2016.
The demonstration, organised under the banners of "Shocheton Banker Shamaj", "Islami Bank Customer Forum", "Islami Bank CBA", and "Shocheton Peshajibi Group", began around 10am outside the Islami Bank Tower in Motijheel’s Dilkusha.
The protesters claimed that several thousand people had been recruited illegally during the period when the controversial industrial conglomerate S Alam Group controlled the bank’s board, saying that the appointments were made without public job circulars, exams, or proper verification.
Speaking on behalf of the Islami Bank Customer Forum, trader Shahin Ahmed said S Alam Group and its associates had set “a bad example” by taking control of the Shariah-based bank.
“The fascist Awami [League] government has already been ousted by the people’s movement. Their influence will also be erased from Islami Bank,” he said.
He alleged that Saiful Alam, chairman of the conglomerate, "illegally" hired people by "placing boxes in his home and markets" without following any rules or procedures.
"Those appointments must be cancelled. Because of them, Islami Bank is now reeling. The quality of services has deteriorated.”
After nearly a decade under the control of S Alam Group, Islami Bank was freed from its influence in August 2024, with the fall of the Awami League government.
Prior to that, around 10,000 people were reportedly hired without formal recruitment exams or verifications, from senior to junior positions. Among them, about 4,500 employees were said to be from Saiful's home Upazila of Patiya in Chattogram.
The mass recruitment raised the bank’s workforce to around 22,000, compared with about 13,500 in 2016.
Amid calls to dismiss those hired without due process, the bank summoned 5,385 employees to take part in a “special competency evaluation” on Sept 27. However, only about 414 attended.
Citing violations of discipline and workplace rules, the bank terminated 400 employees and suspended the rest, pending a final decision from the board.
Protesting against the bank’s action, a group of dismissed employees blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Chattogram's Faujdarhat on Saturday.
In response, several professional and customer groups are now conducting a human chain demonstration in Dhaka in support of the bank’s decision to dismiss what they called “illegally appointed” staff.
