Dismissed officials of five S Alam-linked banks demand reinstatement of jobs
The blockade has caused severe traffic congestion, leaving commuters stranded from Shapla Chattar to the Dhaka Central Police Hospital.
Nearly 1,000 people, who were dismissed from five Shariah-based banks formerly controlled by Chattogram-based S Alam Group, staged protests in front of the Bangladesh Bank headquarters today (12 March), to press home their four-point demands, including reinstatement of their jobs.
The protesters gathered at the Shapla Chattar area around 9:30am, blocking both main gates of the central bank, causing severe traffic congestion and leaving commuters stranded.
The demonstrators, dismissed from Islami Bank Bangladesh, Al-Arafah Bank, Social Islami Bank, Union Bank, and First Security Islami Bank, had a plan to submit the four-point demand to the newly appointed Bangladesh Bank Governor Md Mostaqur Rahman.
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The demands include the dissolution of the newly reformed boards of directors of the banks, cancellation of controversial appointments and promotions made during the interim government's tenure, and the formation of a neutral inquiry committee to investigate the terminations.
Borhanuddin, one of the dismissed officials, told The Business Standard that their protest was peaceful and aimed at securing their jobs.
Sources said that most of the terminated staff were recruited between 2017 and August 2024, a period when the S Alam Group held significant sway over the banks.
Many of these employees hail from Patiya Upazila of Chattogram, the ancestral village of S Alam.
Allegations have surfaced that these recruitments were made without formal advertisements or competitive examinations. Instead, applications were reportedly collected at S Alam's residences and offices in Chattogram.
