Muhid Hasan :
Frustration has piled up among bankers including employees from Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL), Sonali Bank, and Bangladesh Bank, due to persistent issues related to governance, favouritism, nepotism, and delays in promotions.
In recent weeks, the dissatisfaction among bank employees has become increasingly evident. Many workers have reported feeling mistreated over the past fifteen years, highlighting a crisis in the sector.
Bangladesh Bank Protest
On Wednesday, a significant protest erupted at Bangladesh Bank, with a group of disgruntled officials demonstrating outside the office premises. The unrest was severe enough to compel three deputy governors to leave their posts.
Deputy Governor Sayedur Rahman resigned to the human resources department, while Deputy Governors Khorshed Alam and Habibur Rahman also departed. Sayedur Rahman and Masud Biswas, head of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, were reportedly assaulted during the protest.
Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder was not present at the office during the incident, which marks an unprecedented event in the history of Bangladesh Bank.
Sonali Bank Employee Discontent
At Sonali Bank, the largest state-owned commercial bank, employees gathered at the head office in Motijheel on Wednesday to voice their grievances.
The protesters, who have been deprived of promotions and benefits over the years, are calling for several key reforms.
Their demands include the elimination of extensive backlogs in promotions, the introduction of supernumerary promotions similar to those in the civil bureaucracy, an increase in the ceiling for staff home loans, and the restoration of good governance.
An anonymous employee shared, “It’s disheartening to see our hard work and dedication not being recognised. Despite our efforts to help the bank excel, corruption among higher-ups means we’re always left at the bottom.”
He added, “With no promotions and reduced service benefits, we are really facing hardship, even though the bank has secured the top position among state-owned commercial banks for the past three consecutive years.”
Islami Bank Unrest
In a related development, Islami Bank has also been a focal point of unrest. Mohammad Qaisar Ali, Additional Managing Director (AMD) of Islami Bank, resigned on Tuesday afternoon, submitting his resignation letter to the bank’s Managing Director Mohammed Monirul Moula.
Earlier that day, Anisur Rahman, a top official of the bank’s Collective Bargaining Agent (CBA), stated that no executives who joined the bank after 2017 would be allowed to remain. This announcement came as a group of disgruntled employees protested outside the Islami Bank head office in Motijheel. The protesters, led by the CBA, damaged portraits of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who resigned and fled the country amid a student-led protest.
The demonstrators also barred several employees and senior executives, including the bank’s chairman, from performing their duties, accusing them of illegal appointments and promotions following the acquisition of the bank by the Chittagong-based S Alam Group in 2017. The CBA is demanding the reinstatement of employees dismissed after the change in ownership and the removal of those who replaced them. Additionally, they seek punishment for executives alleged to have facilitated dubious fund withdrawals.
Eyewitnesses reported heightened tensions at the bank’s headquarters following the Prime Minister’s resignation, with employees and officials on edge.
Till the filling of the report it was known that the AMD, Muhammad Qaisar Ali, of the bank was released from his position and left the bank with the help of the army officials, according to a reliable source.
Originally founded with Saudi investment, the bank’s ownership was captured by S. Alam Group, a local business conglomerate, now holds the controlling stake. This transition has sparked controversy and unrest among employees, particularly those affected by the recent management changes.