Tension flares outside Islami Bank HQ as police use sound grenades, baton-charge protesters
Several protestors as well as police personnel were injured during the clashes
Fresh tensions erupted outside the head office of Islami Bank Bangladesh in Dhaka's Motijheel this morning (1 June) as police dispersed protesting customers who demanded the cancellation of the appointment of the bank's new chairman.
Hundreds of customers, under the banner of the "Conscious Customers Forum", formed a human chain in front of the Islami Bank Tower from early morning and announced a five-point charter of demands.
They warned of indefinite movement if their demands were not met.
The protesters demanded the immediate removal of newly appointed chairman Md Khurshid Alam, the reinstatement of former managing director Omar Faruk Khan, the appointment of a qualified Bangladesh Bank governor, or the resignation of the incumbent governor, a ban on dismissed former employees from entering Islami Bank premises, and pledged to launch a continuous protest programme if their demands remained unmet.
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Customer representatives alleged that Khurshid Alam was associated with the controversial S Alam Group and claimed his appointment could expose the bank to renewed financial irregularities.
During the protest, police used water cannons, sound grenades, tear gas, and baton charges to disperse demonstrators. Chases and counter-chases were also reported in the area.
Several protesters were reportedly injured in the baton charge, while a number of police personnel were also injured after being hit by bricks and stones allegedly thrown by demonstrators.
Speaking to The Business Standard, Hussein Muhammad Farabi, assistant commissioner of police of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Motijheel Zone, said several hundred customers had gathered in front of the Islami Bank Tower since dawn, demanding that the bank's new chairman not be allowed to join.
"Their claim is that if this chairman joins, their deposits will be at risk. We requested them to leave, but they did not comply. Later, at around 9:15am, we used water cannons, sound grenades, and tear gas shells to remove the protesters from the area," he said.
Farabi added, "They have now moved from in front of Islami Bank Tower and taken positions in nearby alleys. Police have cordoned off the area in front of the bank headquarters."
According to the protesters, at least 25 customers were injured during the clashes, with five of them taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.
A visit to the scene found that around 300 police personnel had been deployed in and around Islami Bank's head office to contain the situation. Of them, about 50 officers were stationed directly in front of the bank's main entrance.
The protest comes after a change in the bank's leadership. On the last working day before the Eid holiday, Islami Bank Chairman M Zubaidur Rahman resigned on 24 May. Later that night, former Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor Md Khurshid Alam was appointed as the bank's new chairman.
Khurshid, a former deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank, was scheduled to join Islami Bank today. He resigned from Bangladesh Bank following protests by central bank officials after the political changeover on 5 August 2024.
Bank officials said programmes were held in different parts of the country during the Eid holidays under the banner of the "Islami Bank Customers Forum" to protest the appointment. As part of the movement, protesters gathered outside the bank's headquarters before office hours today, reports Prothom Alo.
