Bangladesh Bank has expressed concern over the recent protests by bank customers in different parts of the country.
The central bank said it is investigating whether there is an attempt to create chaos to protect the interests of a particular group behind the demands of the customers.
On Monday (May 4), Bangladesh Bank spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan said that customers can peacefully and legally protest for their demands.
However, disrupting the operations of the bank by locking up branches is not acceptable under any circumstances.
He also warned that the law enforcement agencies will take necessary action against those involved in such activities.
He added that allegations of mass layoffs in some banks in recent times are also being investigated.
The central bank is also examining whether these steps are being taken to rehabilitate members of a specific political group in some cases.
Meanwhile, for the second consecutive day, aggrieved customers locked branches of five merged banks in the Agrabad area of Chittagong.
They held this program demanding the return of deposits and dividends. At the same time, the protesters also warned that they would close all branches in Chittagong if their demands were not met.
The normal transaction activities of the banks concerned have been disrupted due to the protests by the customers. Additional police have been deployed in the area to control the situation.
Bangladesh Bank is closely monitoring the overall situation and the central bank authorities have indicated that strict action will be taken if necessary.
