Islamic Bank to Test Officers Hired During S. Alam Era Amid Layoff Fears

Islamic Bank Bangladesh PLC will hold a special competency evaluation exam today, Saturday (September 27), targeting approximately 5,500 officers recruited during the S. Alam Group’s control. The 90-minute exam, featuring written and MCQ questions worth 100 marks with a 50% pass threshold, will run from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM at three Dhaka centers, conducted by Dhaka University’s Institute of Business Administration (IBA).

Around 500 senior and probationary officers, plus about 5,000 junior officers and trainee assistant officers, are expected to participate. However, a group of employees has announced a boycott, alleging the test is a pretext for mass layoffs, particularly targeting Chittagong-region staff. Bangladesh Bank (BB) clarified on September 25 that the bank has the authority to conduct such evaluations.

In 2017, S. Alam Group took over Islamic Bank with Awami League government support, seizing control on January 5 without prior shareholding. Allegations state that nearly 9,000 staff, mostly from owner Saiful Alam’s Patia upazila, were hired without exams or interviews, inflating the workforce from 13,539 in 2016 to 20,809 by 2020.

The exam, initially set for August 29, faced a High Court writ by junior officer Md. Hanif on August 27, prompting BB to review. BB’s Thursday letter affirmed the bank’s autonomy as a private entity to assess staff competency, governed by national laws, clearing the way for today’s test.

On Friday, employees protested in Chittagong’s Jamalpur area, forming a human chain with participants from various districts. They claimed notices threatened job loss or stalled promotions for absentees, calling the test unethical after 5-7 years of service. Officer SM Emdad Hossain told *The Daily Campus* that Chittagong staff are unfairly targeted, unlike peers elsewhere.

An anonymous officer shared fears of redundancy: “After 5-6 years, we’re unprepared for tests. Failing means joblessness, and we’re too old for new exams, risking family burdens.” The bank’s Facebook page last night urged all officers to participate, citing BB’s clearance post-writ.

Following the August 5, 2024, ouster of the Awami League government, BB moved to remove S. Alam Group’s “illegal” control, dissolving the board on August 20 and establishing an independent one. Governor Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur confirmed the policy to reclaim the bank, previously under Jamaat-e-Islami for 34 years.

Islamic Bank authorities maintain that hiring, retention, and testing are internal decisions. Employees fear the exam, tied to S. Alam’s alleged Tk 500 billion in irregular loans, aims to purge “incompetent” hires amid financial strain, leaving long-serving staff in a dilemma.