Banks face hefty cash withdrawals on last working day before Eid
Staff Correspondent
Customers stood in long queues before bank counters for cash withdrawals on Thursday, the last working day before the start of the Eid-ul-Azha holiday.
Bank officials said that transactions saw a 30% increase on Thursday.
Eid-ul-Azha, the biggest religious festival for Muslims, will be celebrated on Monday.
There has been a rush of customers in banks, mainly to withdraw money, said Hasanur Rahman, a senior official of Sonali Bank’s Motijheel branch.
Customers were seen waiting in long queues in branches of different banks, with officials struggling to provide services under the pressure of cash withdrawals, he said.
This correspondent observed a crowd of customers in banks in different areas of the capital, including Motijheel, Dilkusha, Paltan, Mogbazar, Farmgate, and Gulshan.
Cash counter officers at the banks had to deal with high demand due to the pressure of additional customers.
Kazi Jahangir Alam, manager of Islami Bank Motijheel Branch, said that there has always been a rush on the last working day before Eid.
People will go to villages to celebrate Eid and buy sacrificial animals, so they are withdrawing money. Also, cash is being collected to pay the salaries and allowances of the workers of factories and industrial establishments, he said.
Banks in Dhaka, Chattogram, Gazipur, and Narayanganj will remain open in the industrial areas to pay salaries, allowances for workers, and purchase export bills.
Besides, banks will remain open till 10pm in cattle markets (haat) areas in the capital.
