The tragic incident at a commercial bank's branch on the outskirts of Dhaka in 2015, where the branch manager was shot dead alongside several colleagues and clients, still lingers painfully in my mind. In the days that followed, many commented, almost casually, that the young man had acted foolishly. They argued he should have handed over the keys to the armed miscreants and saved his life, as well as the lives of those around him. This judgement, made from the safety of distance, misses a deeper truth about the mindset and ethos of many young bankers.
The manager was at the beginning of his career. For him, the bank was not just an employer; it was an institution he had sworn to protect. Safeguarding the bank's assets, including premises, vaults and client deposits, was part of the trust placed upon him. This sense of duty, though tragically costly, sprang from professional loyalty and an instinctive adherence to responsibility. Many who have worked in banks will recognise this impulse. In moments of crisis, young executives often revert to what they believe their institution expects of them.
This story returned to me when I read headlines accusing banks of "unnecessarily keeping their staff late." The portrayal is simplistic and unfair. Having spent decades around bankers, I must say no, this narrative does not capture the true culture of our institutions. Bankers do not operate in isolation. They work in an environment driven by customer demands, regulatory expectations and market realities.
Inside a bank, people often treat one another like extended family. They step in for each other, provide support when workloads intensify and stay late not because a manager insists, but because the work demands closure. Branch operations, reconciliations, compliance updates, trade documentation and customer service issues do not conveniently end at 5 pm. Banking is not a nine-to-five profession. It is a service industry where client needs dictate the rhythm.
Textbooks remind us that a bank's core functions include financial intermediation, maturity transformation, efficient credit allocation and payment facilitation. These functions are critical to economic stability, and their execution requires precision, diligence and accountability. Behind every loan approval, every trade transaction and every payment settlement, there are teams ensuring compliance, accuracy and risk mitigation.
In carrying out these functions, banks must comply with laws, regulations and central bank guidelines. They must uphold fairness and transparency while balancing the interests of shareholders, depositors, employees and broader stakeholders. This balancing act, complex and ever evolving, requires conscientious professionals who understand not only the rules but the spirit of responsible banking.
Critics often judge the sector through isolated incidents. Those who observe banking closely know that a bank's strength is built on thousands of daily acts performed quietly by people whose names rarely make headlines. They reconcile accounts late, verify transactions to prevent fraud, manage liquidity exposure and ensure payments move across the economy. Their work may be unglamorous, but its impact is systemic.
This duty must sit alongside the need for robust governance. Regulators, auditors and bank boards must maintain a strong firewall to deter malfeasance and protect depositors. Supervision should be proactive, not merely reactive. Capacity building, transparent inspections and strict post-retirement cooling-off rules would help reduce conflicts of interest. Ethical conduct, combined with sound supervision, reinforces public confidence and ensures banks serve the economy without succumbing to short-term pressure or quick gains.
The branch manager embodied that sense of responsibility, perhaps to an extreme and perhaps beyond what training manuals prescribe, but undeniably with sincerity. His story reminds us that banking is not merely about counting money or processing transactions. It is about trust, discipline and extra mile service. It is about individuals who carry institutional reputation on their shoulders, not merely public relations or awards.
As we reflect on such incidents, let us avoid easy judgments. Acknowledge the pressure and expectations that define bankers' lives. Recognise the unseen dedication that keeps the financial system functioning each day. Above all, remember the human cost behind the word "responsibility", a word that defines the banking profession more than any headline ever could.
The writer is a banker and chairman at Financial Excellence Ltd