Islami Bank: Police fire sound grenades, water cannons at protesters over new chairman appointment

Police have disrupted a human chain organised to protest the appointment of the new chairman of Islami Bank. The demonstration, held under the banner of the ‘Islami Bank Customers’ Forum,’ was scheduled today, Monday morning in front of the bank's head office in Motijheel.

According to bank officials, the programme began at 9:30 am, but police dispersed the organisers before 10:00 am using water cannons and sound grenades. Although the protesters arrived with banners and festoons, they were prevented from displaying them. The banners reportedly condemned the appointment of the new chairman, labelling him an "associate of fascism".

On the final working day before Eid, the then-chairman of Islami Bank, M Zubaidur Rahman, resigned from his position. He had been serving as an independent director appointed by Bangladesh Bank. At 9:00 pm that same evening, Md Khurshid Alam, a former deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank, was appointed as the new chairman of Islami Bank.

Bank officials noted that, in protest of the move, a group of citizens under the ‘Islami Bank Customers’ Forum’ banner had been holding programmes across various parts of the country during the Eid holidays. In continuation of these efforts, the demonstration was launched this morning before office hours commenced.

Police officials stated they had requested the organisers not to proceed as they lacked the necessary permission. However, when the protesters began displaying banners regardless, the police deployed water cannons and sound grenades. The intervention sparked panic throughout the Motijheel commercial district.

Abdus Salam, inspector (investigation) of Motijheel Police Station, told Prothom Alo: “A group of the bank’s customers had blocked the road. We have dispersed them.”