Bangladesh Bank (BB) on Tuesday said depositors of the five banks merged into Sammilito Islamic Bank will receive their funds in phases under a structured repayment plan.

The clarification came at a press briefing at the central bank’s Sena Kalyan Bhaban office, following a protest by depositors of the merged banks in front of the central bank headquarters.

 “A specific scheme has been developed to return depositors’ money and the process is already underway in stages,” central bank’s Assistant Spokesperson Shahriar Siddique at the briefing.

Under the scheme, depositors can immediately withdraw up to Tk 2 lakh and after that they will be allowed to withdraw Tk 1 lakh every three months, he said.

The central bank said this arrangement will enable depositors to recover their full balances within a maximum of 21 months.

For Fixed Deposit Receipts (FDR) and Deposit Pension Schemes (DPS), depositors will be able to withdraw Tk 1 lakh upon maturity.

The remaining balance will be renewed under a revised schedule, allowing customers to withdraw profits at each renewal while the principal remains temporarily locked, the Assistant Spokesperson said.

Bangladesh Bank has introduced special measures on humanitarian grounds

It said depositors suffering from severe or life-threatening conditions such as kidney disease, will be allowed to withdraw any required amount upon submission of valid medical documents.

Besides, the bank’s administrator may approve withdrawals of up to Tk 10 lakh and requests exceeding this limit will require approval from Bangladesh Bank.

The central bank said efforts are ongoing to establish a permanent management structure for the new bank.

Recruitment for the Managing Director is in progress, and a chairman will be appointed with government approval.

The merger of five Islamic banks is currently focused on technical and operational integration, he said.

Overlapping branches will be merged to reduce costs, rented head offices are being closed to centralise operations and specialists are working to unify five separate core banking systems into a single platform, he added

“The government and Bangladesh Bank are committed to protecting depositors’ interests and turning the merged bank into a stable and profitable institution,” Siddique said urging customers to remain patient during the transition.