Banking halted in Patiya amid protest by sacked staff

Banking operations across Patiya Upazila in Chattogram have been paralysed for more than four hours as dismissed employees of banks formerly under the S Alam Group staged protests.

From early morning on Sunday, protesters gathered outside the offices of both public and private banks, preventing customers from entering, bdnews24.com reports. 

Patiya Upazila administrator (UNO) Farhanur Rahman said around 1:45pm that the sacked employees had been blocking bank entrances since the morning, stopping clients from accessing services.

“We spoke to them along with police officials, and by 1pm we managed to remove them, starting with Sonali Bank and then the others. Banking is now back to normal,” he said.

Following the political changeover after the July Uprising, Bangladesh Bank dissolved the boards of several S Alam-controlled banks and dismissed staff hired during its tenure.

Protesters said over 7,000 employees were terminated without notice since Aug 5 last year from Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, Al-Arafah Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, Union Bank and First Security Islami Bank, all under S Alam ownership at the time.

Ashraf Ali, a former Social Islami Bank employee, alleged Chattogram residents had been singled out for termination.

“We joined according to the proper process, but after the government’s fall, locals from Patiya and nearby Upazilas like Lohagara, Sitakunda, and Mirsarai were removed with a ‘Patiya tag’,” he said, adding many were at the end of their working age and now faced destitution.

Witnesses said protesters first gathered at Patiya School field, then spread to various bank branches and ATMs by 9am. Abu Ibrahim, manager of Agrani Bank’s Patiya branch, said customers who managed to enter were served, but most could not access the premises.