A total of 131.89 crore shares of Islami Bank, owned by S Alam Group, have been blocked, representing 81.92% of the bank’s total shares. This action follows a Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) order issued on August 24 after a request from Bangladesh Bank to freeze shares owned by S Alam Group Chairman Saiful Alam Masud and 56 associated institutions. Currently, only 18.40 crore shares (11.43% of total shares) are available for trading. As of Tuesday, the share price was Tk 56.40, valuing S Alam’s holdings at approximately Tk 7,438 crore.
Following the restructuring of Islami Bank on August 22, the BSEC is investigating unusual price increases in the bank’s shares, which rose over 116% after the previous government fell. The investigation will focus on trading activities from August 6 to September 25 for potential market manipulation. As of August 18, 2024, Islami Bank’s total loans were Tk 1.5 lakh crore, with Tk 74,972 crore (half of the total loans) benefiting the S Alam Group.