Former employees of five Islamic banks say four months of uncertainty have left them facing mounting financial hardship and urge the government to reinstate them.
TBS Report
20 October, 2026, 06:40 pm
Last modified: 20 October, 2026, 06:52 pm
Hundreds of former employees of five Islamic banks staged a sit-in at Lalkhan Bazar intersection in Chattogram today (20 October), demanding reinstatement and intervention from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The protesters began gathering at around 4pm, chanting slogans demanding the restoration of their jobs and an immediate resolution to their grievances.
The banks are Islami Bank Bangladesh, Social Islami Bank, First Security Islami Bank, Union Bank and Global Islami Bank.
Gias Uddin, a dismissed Islami Bank official, told The Business Standard that although the prime minister had recognised them as "oppressed", their crisis remained unresolved.
"Many of us are now too old to find jobs elsewhere. We are going through an unbearable situation with our families," he said.
Gias also alleged that some of their former colleagues had died by suicide after struggling with debt, loan burdens and the inability to support their families.
Another dismissed Islami Bank official, Asmin Chowdhury, said four months had passed without any concrete solution.
"We have not committed any crime, so why should we bear this burden?" she said.
The protesters urged the authorities to reinstate them without delay and take effective measures to address what they described as a humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, preparations were underway at the historic JM Sen Hall Puja Mandap in Chattogram ahead of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's scheduled visit this evening.
Security was tightened around the venue and other designated locations, with the Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) and other security agencies making arrangements for the visit.
CMP Commissioner Hasan Md Shawkot Ali said adequate security measures had been taken at both designated venues for the prime minister's visit to the Puja mandap.