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Amid a planned one-hour “pen break” protest by a group demanding the resignation of Islami Bank’s chairman, Acting Managing Director (MD) Altaf Hossain on Thursday reassured customers that banking services would remain uninterrupted, stressing that the bank authorities had issued no instruction to suspend customer transactions or services.
Speaking to journalists at the bank’s head office in Dhaka, Altaf Hossain warned that necessary action would be taken against any official found refraining from providing customer service.
The remarks came after the “Conscious Customer Forum”, which has been protesting for the chairman’s resignation, organised a protest march in the capital on Wednesday and urged bank officials to observe a one-hour pen break on Thursday.
Sources said some officials at different branches participated in the programme, although no bank official agreed to speak to the media officially regarding the matter.
Meanwhile, allegations were raised that regular customer service activities were disrupted at some branches during the protest.
Responding to the allegations, Altaf Hossain said, “The bank has not issued any instructions to shut down customer services. Our officials are ready to provide services. However, it is not possible to immediately know what is happening in every branch while sitting at the head office.”
Replying to a question on whether the ongoing movement had increased the tendency of customers to withdraw deposits, the acting MD said pressure on cash withdrawals had increased slightly due to several reasons, including the protest movement, but remained manageable.
“If all customers withdraw their deposits from a bank in one day, it would not be possible to continue operations. But in reality, such a situation does not occur,” he said.
“Although the pressure is somewhat higher than during normal times, there is no reason to panic. If the situation had become alarming, it would have been evident to everyone,” he added.
