TL;DR:
- Bank officials from multiple institutions including Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, UCB, and Bangladesh Commerce Bank staged protests demanding cancellation of illegal appointments and action against money laundering.
- Six Bangladesh Bank high officials including four deputy governors were forced to leave headquarters, with Deputy Governor Saidur Rahman compelled to resign and demands for BB Governor’s resignation.
- The central bank leadership including the governor, deputy governors, BFIU head, and policy advisor were notably absent during these significant protests.
- The protests stem from long-standing issues of illegal appointments, financial irregularities, and demands for reinstatement of previously terminated employees.
Mass protests erupted at multiple banks across Bangladesh as bank officials demanded action against illegal appointments and money laundering, while law enforcement agencies simultaneously cracked down on a major loan scam operation targeting rural residents.
Bank Officials’ Protest
Bank employees from several major institutions including Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, United Commercial Bank, and Bangladesh Commerce Bank staged demonstrations at their respective head offices. The protesters are calling for the cancellation of illegal appointments and demanding accountability from bank owners involved in financial irregularities. They also seek reinstatement of previously terminated employees.
The protests intensified when demonstrators forced six Bangladesh Bank high officials, including four deputy governors, to vacate the central bank headquarters. Deputy Governor Saidur Rahman was compelled to resign, while protesters also demanded the resignation of BB Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder. Notable absences at the central bank included the governor, four deputy governors, the head of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, and the policy advisor.
Loan Scam Operation Uncovered
In a parallel development, law enforcement agencies uncovered a sophisticated loan scam targeting vulnerable rural residents. The scam, orchestrated by an organization calling itself “Nonviolent Mass Uprising Bangladesh,” promised interest-free loans ranging from 100,000 to 10 million taka to attendees of a mass gathering in Dhaka.
The fraudulent scheme collected 1,000 taka as registration fees from each victim, luring them with false promises of recovering money allegedly laundered abroad. Police intercepted several vehicles in Kamalnagar, Lakshmipur, where they detained 11 suspects and seized three buses and four microbuses carrying hundreds of potential victims to Dhaka.
Law Enforcement Response
The Detective Branch of Police has arrested 15 individuals, including a Chinese national, in connection with social media-based loan scams. Local law enforcement, supported by military personnel, intervened to prevent hundreds of rural residents from falling victim to the fraudulent scheme.
“The main perpetrators, who occasionally visit to distribute forms, are based in Dhaka,” stated Tohidul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Kamalnagar Police Station, highlighting the organized nature of the operation.
The incidents underscore the growing concerns about financial irregularities and fraudulent schemes targeting Bangladesh’s banking sector and vulnerable populations.
Source: Ittefaq
