Islami Bank officials announce boycott day before mandatory competency test

Fearing mass layoffs, officials of Islami Bank Bangladesh have announced a boycott of the bank's newly introduced "special competency assessment" exam, which is scheduled for tomorrow.

The announcement came today at a human chain and protest rally in front of the Chattogram Press Club, joined by several hundred officials of Islami Bank from different parts of the country.

Protesting officials said the bank recently issued a circular mandating participation in the test. They alleged that the move was a deliberate attempt to lay off approximately 5,500 officials from Chattogram region alone.

Mohammad Iskandar Sujon, SM Emdad Hossain, Mohammad Iqbal, Dilruba Akhter, Sharmin Akhter and Nasrin Jannat, among other Islami Bank officials, addressed the gathering.

They said the High Court, in response to a writ petition, had earlier directed the bank to conduct regular promotional tests, instead of the special competency assessment exam. However, defying that order, the bank authorities again announced the exam date.

The exam circular stated that employees absent from the test would have no further opportunity to retain their jobs or pursue career advancement.

Later, the protesters handed over a memorandum to Liberation War Affairs and Disaster Management and Relief Adviser Faruk-e-Azam, who was attending a programme at the press club at the time.

In response, the adviser assured the protesting officials that he would raise the issue with both the government and the bank's top management, said a press release.

Urging government intervention, the protesters demanded immediate cancellation of the exam and assurance of job security for all officials.