Law, Not Force, Must Settle Islami Bank Disputes

What happened outside Islami Bank’s head office in Dilkusha on Monday is deeply concerning. More than 50 people were injured when terminated employees and members of the Islami Bank Sachetan Grahak Forum clashed. The former employees demanded reinstatement, while the customers’ forum called for better governance, an end to alleged influence by past controlling interests and greater protection for deposits. An argument quickly turned violent. For a bank already trying to recover from years of turmoil, such unrest is the last thing it needs. Disputes of this nature should therefore be settled through due process, not by force.

We cannot view the incident in isolation. Islami Bank endured years of controversy during the S Alam Group’s control, with serious questions over lending, appointments and financial management. The removal of the group-linked board in 2024 offered a chance to turn the page, but its legacy remains. Employees appointed during that period reportedly lost their jobs and now allege unfair dismissal, while the circumstances of those appointments also warrant scrutiny. The customers’ forum’s seven-point demands, including a professional board and stronger protection for deposits, further underline the need for accountable oversight.

This is why the clash matters. Islami Bank is still dealing with bad loans, liquidity pressure and the fallout from past controversies. Depositors need assurance that the bank is being run responsibly. Employees need fair procedures, while customers need credible channels to raise complaints. When competing groups resort to pressure or violence, they weaken the very processes designed to resolve disputes. The dismissed employees’ subsequent move towards Bangladesh Bank, a Key Point Installation, also shows how quickly a workplace dispute can spill into sensitive financial areas. Such escalation must not become routine.

We therefore need firm action from the authorities and the bank. Police should examine CCTV footage and other evidence, identify those responsible and hold them accountable. At the same time, Islami Bank should establish a transparent process to examine the former employees’ complaints. Let the workers submit their appointment and termination records, and let the bank explain the basis of its decisions. Any wrongdoing should be corrected, while legitimate decisions should be properly documented. Meanwhile, the customers’ forum should pursue its demands through appropriate regulatory channels. Evidence, not intimidation, must determine the outcome.

Against this backdrop, all concerned must step back from confrontation. Former employees have every right to seek justice, and customers have every right to demand accountability and deposit security. Nevertheless, neither side has the right to disrupt a major financial institution. Islami Bank has already paid a heavy price for years of irregularities and mismanagement. Its priority now must be orderly decision-making, protection of depositors and a clean break with past practices. Those responsible for violence must face consequences, while genuine disputes must go through proper channels. Only through such discipline can the bank move beyond its troubled past and begin rebuilding public trust.