Depositors again on Monday locked three bank branches in Chattogram, demanding the return of their deposits with full profits.
Several hundred bank clients brought out a procession at about 11:00am and gathered at the Badamtali crossing in the port city’s Agrabad area.
Witnesses said that the protestors were clients of five crisis-hit banks — First Security Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, Union Bank, Social Islami Bank and Exim Bank.
These banks are in the process of being merged following severe financial distress linked to past irregularities.
The protesters first locked an Exim Bank branch and later marched to a branch of Union Bank, where they forced officials to leave the branch before locking it, witnesses said.
They also locked a branch of First Security Islami Bank in the area.
Union Bank Agrabad branch manager Kaisarul Alam said that it was not possible to pay all clients if they came to withdraw money at the same time.
‘We have informed the higher authorities about the matter. Although transactions were proceeding normally, the protest disrupted regular activities,’ he said.
Farid Uddin Bahar, a depositor of First Security Islami Bank, said that he had deposited his hard-earned money in the bank and now wanted it back.
‘Did we commit any crime by keeping our hard-earned money in the bank? I want my own money back. Why should there be any haircut? Our money must be returned immediately. We will not accept any excuse,’ he said.
Zia Uddin Khaled, a businessman, said that about Tk 50 lakh of his money was stuck in Global Islami Bank.
‘They are not paying even a single taka. My business is on the verge of closure and it has become difficult to run my family,’ he said.
Earlier, on Sunday, depositors staged demonstrations in the port city’s Khatunganj area in front of the branches of First Security Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, Union Bank, Social Islami Bank and Exim Bank.
The protesters locked branches of Union Bank and Exim Bank on Sunday morning.
The police later went to the spot and removed the lock.
