Photo: Collected
Overcoming various long-standing complications, Sammilito Islami Bank PLC is working to bring customers back under normal services. The institution’s managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) Md Abedur Rahman Sikder said bringing back the lost trust of customers is now their main goal. He mentioned that people keep deposits in a bank precisely to use their hard-earned money in times of need. Being unable to give it during a crisis is extremely painful for bank employees too. So ensuring unrestricted transactions for customers is being given the highest priority.
The bank has said that depositors of personal savings and current accounts can at present deposit and withdraw money as they wish; there is even the opportunity to withdraw the entire amount if they want. At the same time, customers of DPS, term deposits and monthly profit-based schemes are being returned their principal if they do not wish to continue transactions, and regular profit is also being paid. The fear that there would be wholesale withdrawal of the entire money after transactions were eased has in reality seen the opposite picture. Many customers are keen to keep their money in the bank and carry on transactions, and they have expressed satisfaction at receiving the earned profit regularly. The bank management sees this as a positive message.
The MD further said that the doubt and anxiety that employees earlier had about serving customers have gone, and with transactions becoming normal their enthusiasm for work and confidence have now multiplied. In particular, expatriate customers in various countries including the Middle East have expressed relief through phone calls and messages and expressed their wish to continue transactions with the bank. At present, alongside deposits, the facility of opening new accounts has also been opened up. Considering necessity, payments are being made for the convenience of customers, which is strengthening trust in the bank again.
New initiatives are also being taken to bring back business customers in the retail banking, SME and corporate sectors. Of the businesspeople who had moved to other banks during the crisis, old and trusted customers will be brought back in the first phase, and there is a plan to add new customers later. It is expected that the scope of business will be made even larger by utilising the adequate capital base.
To ensure the quality of integrated services for customers, Sammilito Islami Bank is going to launch a ‘model branch’ at Gulshan in the capital by 30 September. From this branch, run under its own identity, customers of the previous five banks will be able to receive services under one roof. Later, there is a plan to expand more such model branches by integrating several branches in convenient locations.
A target has been set to transform the bank into a modern and disciplined institution by utilising the existing infrastructure, branches, sub-branches, ATM network and skilled workforce. Md Abedur Rahman Sikder thinks that if discipline returns to the banking sector, it will play a positive role in the overall national economy as well. He expressed a commitment to achieving the satisfaction of customers and employees by providing technology-based modern services and building a transparent environment. Expressing gratitude to the trusted customers who stood by even in hard times, the MD expressed optimism about building the bank into a strong one by relying on this very trust.
