Islami Bank Conscious Customers’ Forum has demanded the formation of a special tribunal to ensure the trial of those responsible for alleged bank looting. The forum also called for the recovery of laundered funds and the settlement of the bank's liabilities.
The demands were raised by Nurun Nabi Manik, president of the forum, at a press conference held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium in Segunbagicha on Saturday. He warned that the forum would announce fresh programmes if its seven-point demand charter, including the resignation of the bank's chairman, was not met by Saturday.
Since June 1, customers have been staging various programmes to press home their seven-point demands, which include the resignation of the newly appointed chairman of Islami Bank, the reinstatement of former Managing Director Omar Faruk Khan, the prosecution of those accused of irregularities, and the recovery of allegedly misappropriated funds.
The Association of Bankers, Bangladesh (ABB) reportedly discussed concerns over the bank's ongoing situation during a meeting with the Bangladesh Bank governor last week. In a post-budget press conference, the governor advised depositors not to panic.
At the press conference, forum leaders alleged that recent remarks made by the Home Affairs Adviser regarding Islami Bank had created uncertainty among depositors. They claimed that comments made by senior officials had contributed to increased withdrawals and argued that restoring public confidence would require the removal of the current chairman and the reinstatement of former Managing Director Omar Faruk Khan.
According to the forum, Islami Bank has sought a special loan of Tk 10,000 crore from Bangladesh Bank to address liquidity pressures arising from large-scale withdrawals. Media reports suggest that more than Tk 7,000 crore has been withdrawn from the bank since Eid.
Islami Bank came under the control of the S Alam Group in 2017. The bank has faced allegations of irregularities and governance-related challenges in recent years. Following the political changeover in August last year, the bank's liquidity situation reportedly improved. However, a section of customers launched a movement under the banner of the Consumer Forum after former Bangladesh Bank deputy governor Khurshid Alam was appointed chairman of the bank.
