Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief and opposition leader Dr. Shafiqur Rahman declared his readiness to personally defend Islami Bank if necessary, saying he would take to the streets and stand in front to protect it. He made the remarks on Wednesday night during Jamaat’s Eid reunion event.

Rahman emphasized that Islami Bank does not belong to any political party but to the people who have deposited their money there. He stated that if depositors were attacked, he would stand before them and face any violence first. He described the bank as belonging to everyone in the country.

The Jamaat leader also criticized the appointment of what he called an associate of a “fascist” to a leadership position at Islami Bank, questioning whether the husband of a loan defaulter could serve as the bank’s chairman.