Customers of five merged Islamic banks staged a fresh demonstration in Chattogram on Monday, demanding the immediate return of their savings and urgent measures to restore normal banking operations.
The protest, organised under the banner ‘Aggrieved Customers of Sammilito Islami Bank’, took place outside the Bangladesh Bank office in the port city at around 11:00am.
Demonstrators urged the central bank to intervene quickly, warning that prolonged delays were causing severe financial hardship for millions of depositors.
Alongside the demand for unrestricted access to their deposits, protesters presented a five-point charter calling for the restoration of regular banking services across the five institutions.
They also sought special financial support to ease the banks’ liquidity shortages, the payment of matured Fixed Deposit Receipts (FDR), Deposit Pension Schemes (DPS) and Monthly Term Deposit Receipts (MTDR), and the reinstatement of previously agreed profit rates on deposits.
Organisers warned that if no meaningful action was taken, they would expand their campaign with sit-ins at bank branches, demonstrations targeting branch managers and further protests outside Bangladesh Bank offices.
Protesters criticised a Bangladesh Bank resolution issued on 21 January 2026, which reduced the profit payable on deposits accumulated over the previous two years at the five merged Shariah-compliant banks.
Under the decision, eligible depositors would receive a special benefit of only four per cent.
According to those attending the demonstration, the revised policy has placed a heavy burden on ordinary savers, many of whom depend on their deposits for everyday living costs.
They said affected customers include pensioners, expatriate workers, small business owners and middle-income households.
Many participants claimed they had invested pension payments, proceeds from land sales and remittance income in the banks, but had been unable to withdraw their funds for an extended period. As a result, they said they were struggling to cover medical expenses, education costs and household necessities.
Speakers at the rally said depositors had repeatedly appealed to senior government officials, Bangladesh Bank and other relevant authorities over the past two years through memorandums and peaceful demonstrations.
Despite these efforts, they argued that no lasting solution had been introduced.
The latest protest follows a road march held in Chattogram on 17 June, where depositors again demanded the return of their savings and the restoration of full banking services.
Customers have been protesting for several months over the reduction in deposit returns and continuing disruptions linked to the merger of five Islamic banks.
The institutions involved are EXIM Bank, Social Islami Bank, First Security Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank and Union Bank.
According to the organisers, the five banks collectively hold deposits worth around Tk1.31 lakh crore belonging to approximately 75 lakh customers.
In May, depositors escalated their campaign by locking at least nine branches of the merged banks in Chattogram, highlighting growing frustration over delayed access to their savings and the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the banking sector.
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