The bank’s officers and employees observed a two-hour pen break on Monday (June 8) to press for seven demands, including the resignation of chairman Khurshid Alam of Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC.
The program was held from 10 am to 12 noon at the call of the Islami Bank Conscious Customer Forum.
During this time, banking activities in various branches and sub-branches of the country, including the capital, were partially disrupted.
The Conscious Customer Forum claimed that most banking services, including transactions, were closed for those two hours due to the program.
At the same time, depositors held a peaceful sit-in program in front of various branches and sub-branches.
On-site visits to various branches and sub-branches of Islami Bank in Motijheel, including the head office, Motijheel local office, Motijheel branch, Basabo, Shahjahanpur, Paltan, Ramna, Bangshal, Nawabpur, Islampur, Sadarghat, Kamrangirchar, Jatrabari, Donia, Dayaganj, Chawkbazar, Moulvibazar, Panthapath, Kakrail, Gendaria, Wiseghat, Banglamotor, and others, showed that officers and employees were observing pen breaks.
As a result, normal banking activities were disrupted. However, the presence of general customers in these places was comparatively less.
Prof Nur Nabi Manik, president of the Islami Bank Consumer Awareness Forum, said: "The program has been held with seven demands, including the resignation of illegal chairman Khurshid Alam, protection of deposits, protection of customer interests, removal of S Alam Group and their associates, and protest against police attacks on customers."
He alleged that due to the bank's liquidity crisis, various booths, including the ATM booth at the head office, have been closed and many depositors are facing problems in withdrawing the necessary money.
He claimed that there is growing concern among customers about the current situation of the bank.
Nur Nabi Manik also said that effective steps must be taken quickly to ensure the interests of Islami Bank depositors and the security of their deposits. Otherwise, more stringent programs may be announced in the future.
Meanwhile, no immediate statement was received from the bank on this matter.
Those concerned say that any kind of instability in the activities of Islami Bank, as the country's largest Shariah-based bank, is an important issue for customer confidence and the overall banking sector. Therefore, the initiatives of the concerned parties are required to resolve the emerging situation quickly.