Sacked Islamic Bank Employees Protest in Dhaka Demanding Reinstatement

Thousands of former employees from six Islamic banks formed a human chain in the capital’s Dilkusha area on Sunday morning, demanding their jobs back following recent mass terminations.

The protest, held in front of the Islami Bank Bangladesh headquarters, drew staff from Islami Bank, First Security Islami Bank, Union Bank, Al-Arafah Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, and Social Islami Bank. Additional police were deployed across Motijheel to maintain order as tensions rose.

Under the banner "Stand up against discrimination and mass sacking," protesters claimed they were victims of a "cleansing drive" disguised as skill assessments. Many alleged they were unfairly targeted for not having specific political affiliations.

"We have been fired despite not being involved in partisan politics," one protester stated. "If we had political backing, we wouldn't be on the street today. It is shameful to be terminated simply for lacking a party banner."

The group claims approximately 10,000 officials have been laid off since August 5 last year, citing administrative harassment and ID deactivations.

The speakers at the rally presented a formal ultimatum to the bank managements and the central bank Immediate Reinstatement All terminated employees must be returned to their posts. Back Pay Full payment of outstanding salaries and allowances. Legal Protection Guarantees against future discriminatory layoffs.

In contrast, senior officials from the affected banks maintain that the layoffs were merit-based. Speaking on condition of anonymity, management representatives stated that dismissals targeted individuals with fraudulent academic certificates or those appointed through irregular channels without competitive examinations. They emphasized that there is "no chance" of reinstating these individuals.

The six banks were previously under the control of the Chittagong-based S. Alam Group. Following the change in government, the group lost its hold on the boards. Investigations by Bangladesh Bank revealed that roughly Tk 2 lakh crore was withdrawn from these institutions through various irregularities.

Currently, the central bank has appointed independent directors to oversee Islami Bank and Al-Arafah, while plans are underway to merge the remaining four struggling banks to ensure financial stability.