Dismissed Islami Bank officials block highway, causing gridlock

Dismissed officials of Islami Bank blocked the Dhaka–Chattogram highway on Saturday demanding reinstatement along with five other points, resulting in a halt to traffic movement.

At around 11:30am, hundreds of the bank’s officials gathered near Faujdarhat Cadet College on the Dhaka–Chattogram highway in Chattogram. By 11:45am, they moved onto the road and enforced a blockade.

Police later requested the protesters to leave, after which they withdrew from the highway at around 1:00pm. Thousands of officials and employees reportedly took part in the programme.

The demonstration brought traffic to a standstill for nearly one and a half hours, causing severe congestion stretching over 10 kilometres on both sides of the busy highway, leaving passengers in distress.

The protesters alleged that nearly 400 officials in the Chattogram region had been unjustly dismissed, while another 4,000 to 5,000 were sidelined as OSDs, leaving them in uncertainty and hardship. They said the protest was intended to draw attention to the crisis.

Dismissed officer Emdad Hossain said: “We came to the field to let everyone know how helpless 5,500 officials and employees have become. Through this peaceful programme, we are appealing to the chief adviser and all concerned to help resolve this crisis.”

Another dismissed official, Nur Uddin, added: “The authorities have already blocked our salary accounts. We cannot even withdraw our due wages. We have no money left for daily expenses at home.”

On Friday, the dismissed officials held a press conference announcing a continuous work stoppage from Sunday. Saturday’s demonstration, including the human chain and blockade, marked the beginning of their movement.

It may be noted that after S Alam Group took over Islami Bank in 2017, a large number of employees were recruited directly through CVs, most of them from Patiya and neighbouring upazilas in Chattogram. Following the change in the bank’s board after the fall of the Awami League government, the authorities organised a special competency test on 27 September for those recruited after 2017. Out of 5,385 officials asked to sit the test, only 414 attended, leaving 4,971 designated as OSDs. Additionally, 400 employees were dismissed in two phases on charges of opposing the test and spreading confusion.