Eight top officials of Islami Bank dismissed

Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC has dismissed the top eight officials, including six deputy managing directors (DMDs), who were identified as collaborators of S Alam Group, from the bank.

The bank issued letters regarding dismissal and sent the letter to the officials on Monday (August 19).

The dismissed officials are — additional managing director JQM Habibullah, deputy managing sirectors (DMD) Md Akij Uddin, Mohammad Sabbir, Miftah Uddin, Md Rezaul Karim, Dr Md Abdullah Al Mamun, and chief anti-money laundering compliance officer (CAMLCO) Taher Ahmed Chowdhury and Islami Bank Training and Research Academy Principal Md Nazrul Islam.

The dismissals occurred amid growing pressure from the bank officials following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government.

According to bank sources, all the officials are reportedly close associates of Saiful Alam, the owner of the S Alam Group.

Earlier in the day, Bangladesh Bank (BB) has imposed restrictions on giving loans and prohibited opening Letter of Credits (LCs) for import in six banks under the control of the S Alam Group.

The banks are —Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, First Security Islami Bank, Union Bank, Global Islami Bank and Bangladesh Commerce Bank.

On August 11, five people, including four officials of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) PLC, sustained bullet injuries in a clash between two groups of the bank in front of its head office in Motijheel area of Dhaka.

The incident occurred when some officials under the banner of ‘Anti-Discrimination Banker Society’ were trying to hold a rally in front of the head office in the morning and some bank officials, who work for the S Alam Group, barred them from holding the rally, resulting in a scuffle between them.