Dozens injured in Islami Bank clash

Dozens of people were injured yesterday in a clash between members of a customer forum and former employees of Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC outside the bank’s head office in Dhaka.

The two groups took up positions outside Islami Bank Tower in Motijheel yesterday morning to hold programmes announced the previous day. They later got into a scuffle that escalated into a clash.

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The sacked employees were allegedly recruited after the controversial conglomerate S Alam Group took over the country’s largest shariah-based bank in 2017. They were terminated during the interim government and have since been demanding reinstatement.

The clash erupted over the sacked employees’ demand for reinstatement, which the customers’ forum opposed, alleging they were illegally recruited

Members of the “Sachetan Grahak Forum” have been opposing the demand.

Both sides blamed each other for yesterday’s violence. Shahidul Islam, one of the sacked employees, claimed 25 of their members were injured in the attack.

“We were standing in front of the bank for the second day demanding reinstatement. About 20 minutes after we arrived, members of the consumer forum attacked us. Police later removed us from the spot,” he said.

He added that 20 to 25 injured employees had been admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Countering the claim, Nuru-Un-Nabi Manik, president of Sachetan Grahak Forum, claimed around 30 of its members were injured, including five seriously.

He alleged the sacked employees had attacked forum members during a peaceful demonstration. “Those recruited illegally have no connection with the bank. They are trying to create fresh instability at the bank,” he said, alleging the attack was carried out under police protection.

The officer-in-charge of Motijheel Police Station could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.