Staff Reporter:
Depositors of several Islamic banks staged a human chain and sit-in programme in front of Bangladesh Bank in the capital’s Motijheel area, pressing home a three-point demand.
When protesters took position on the road during the demonstration, members of the law enforcement agencies dispersed them by spraying water from water cannons, bringing the situation under control.
The demonstrators alleged that a decision made by a former central bank governor cut the profit on deposits of five Shariah-based banks over the past two years, limiting the return to only 4 percent, which they described as unjust and inhumane for depositors.
They said many customers have been facing severe financial hardship over the last two years as they have been unable to withdraw their principal deposits and expected profits.
Participants in the human chain demanded that the banks return the full amount of deposits along with the complete profit for 2024 and 2025, as per the original agreements.
They also called for restoring normal banking transactions in the concerned Islamic banks like other scheduled banks and urged authorities to pay matured savings instruments—including Fixed Deposits (FD), Deposit Pension Schemes (DPS), and Mudaraba Term Deposit Receipts (MTDR)—according to the agreed terms.
Issuing an ultimatum, the protesters announced that if their demands are not met quickly, they will launch a siege programme at the Bangladesh Bank on March 12.
