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The formal disbursement of locked deposits began on Monday across the five amalgamated Islamic lenders operating under the newly formed Sammilita Islami Bank. On the opening day, approximately 6,000 depositors withdrew an estimated Tk 250 crore from their accounts. Bank officials, however, observed that the initial drawdown was lower than anticipated given the overall volume of claims.
The entity was formed through the consolidation of five troubled private Shariah-compliant lenders: First Security Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, Union Bank, Global Islami Bank, and EXIM Bank, which together operate a collective network of 761 branches nationwide.
Institutional records show that around 75,000 formal refund applications have been submitted by depositors so far, amounting to aggregate claims of approximately Tk 3,925 crore.
To facilitate smooth liquidity and satisfy customer demands without disruptions, Bangladesh Bank disbursed a special refinancing liquidity support of Tk 5,000 crore to Sammilita Islami Bank on Sunday. The funds were subsequently allocated and disbursed to operational branch vaults on Monday morning based on regional requisitions.
On Monday (September 7), branch visits across commercial hubs in Dhaka—including Motijheel, Paltan, and Malibagh—showed queues of retail customers arriving early to withdraw funds that had remained inaccessible for months. Most customers completed the required verification procedures and withdrew their balances smoothly, expressing palpable relief as operational bottlenecks began to clear.
A customer visiting an EXIM Bank branch in Motijheel remarked that prolonged uncertainty had caused severe anxiety, and receiving cash in hand brought long-awaited financial reassurance.
Md. Abedur Rahman, Managing Director of Sammilita Islami Bank, assured the public that no depositor seeking withdrawals would be turned away empty-handed. Officials reiterated that payments will continue in planned phases based on pre-registered claims to manage counter traffic and preserve system stability.
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