HC scraps Islami Bank's 'special assessment test', orders promotion exam instead

The High Court has cancelled Islami Bank Bangladesh's planned Special Competitive Assessment for permanent officials and directed the bank to hold a proper promotion exam instead.

A division bench of Justice Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice Kazi Faizul Haque issued the order today following a hearing on a writ petition.

The court instructed Bangladesh Bank and Islami Bank to cancel the assessment within 48 hours and initiate a proper promotion exam for eligible officials.

It also issued a rule asking why the decision should not be declared illegal and why a structured promotion exam should not be introduced instead.

The writ was filed by several Islami Bank officers who called the assessment a "farcical mechanism" intended to sideline experienced staff. Petitioners' lawyer Barrister Salauddin Dolon confirmed the court's order to The Business Standard and welcomed it as a safeguard for long-serving officials.

However, hours after the court order, the bank issued a memorandum in the evening, signed by Deputy Managing Director M Kamal Uddin Jasim, saying the exam had been "rescheduled" to allow more preparation time.

"Attention of all concerned is drawn to the contents of Instruction Circular regarding Conduction of a Special Competency Assessment for the employees of the Bank," the memo reads, adding that a new exam date would be communicated later.

Earlier, on 14 August, Islami Bank's Human Resources Division had issued a circular announcing the special assessment for staff from Assistant Officer to Senior Principal Officer ranks.

Petitioners argued the test was unnecessary since permanent officials already earned promotions through established evaluation systems and most hold banking diplomas, including Islami Bank's own certifications.

They claimed the test was orchestrated by management as a pretext to remove experienced staff.