Islami Bank employees block highway in Chattogram, causing long tailbacks

Former and OSD (on special duty) employees of the Islami Bank Bangladesh blocked a major highway for nearly an hour in protest in Sitakunda of Chattogram.

The demonstration took place today, Saturday, near Faujdarhat Cadet College on the Dhaka–Chattogram highway. The blockade caused severe traffic congestion leaving drivers and passengers suffering in long tailbacks.

Eyewitnesses said that the dismissed and OSD employees of the Islami Bank first gathered in front of Faujdarhat Cadet College for a human chain around 10:45 am.

Then around 11:45 pm, they blocked the Dhaka-bound lane of the highway to begin their protest. Later, the Chattogram-bound lane was blocked as well.

The blockade caused traffic congestion stretching at least 30 kilometres in both directions on one of the country’s busiest highways. The traffic movement started normalising again when the blockade was lifted around 1:00 pm.

During the protest, participants were seen chanting slogans such as “We Want Justice.” The human chain was organised under the banner of ‘Chattogram Oikya Mancha’ platform. Protesters claimed that approximately 400 employees of the Islami Bank were unfairly terminated in the Chattogram region.

An additional 4,700 employees were kept inactive on OSD status. The affected employees face severe hardship and are demanding reinstatement as part of a six-point demand. The protesters warned that stricter measures would follow if their demands are not met.

Coordinator of the protesters Saidul Islam, an officer at Panchagarh branch of the Islami Bank, told Prothom Alo that the bank management is laying off employees from greater Chattogram region.

In response, they carried out the previously-announced blockade today, with employees from all branches across the country based in Chattogram participating spontaneously.

Sitakunda police station officer-in-charge (OC) Md Mojibur Rahman told Prothom Alo that the protesters were promised that their demands would be conveyed to the Islami Bank authorities. The protesters cleared the road after that. No untoward incidents occurred during the blockade.