Islami Bank recovers hacked facebook page after 12-hours

Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC has regained control of its verified Facebook page around 4:00 pm on Friday (3 October), roughly 12 hours after it was compromised by hackers earlier in the day.

Nazrul Islam, Head of Public Relations at Islami Bank, confirmed the recovery. “The page was hacked in the morning. After continuous communication with Facebook authorities, we were able to get control back. The page is now being operated normally,” he told.

The hacker group, identifying itself as Team MS 47OX, replaced the page’s profile and cover photos with their logo and briefly posted a demand for reinstatement of employees linked to S. Alam who had recently been terminated. The post was later deleted.

The incident comes amid a turbulent period for the country’s largest private bank. Islami Bank has dismissed more than 400 employees and placed nearly 5,000 officers on special duty (OSD) as part of a major restructuring drive.

Bangladesh Bank has directed Islami Bank to slash operational costs, cut down on default loans, and review over 8,340 staff appointments made during the S. Alam Group’s management. Sources say around Tk 10,000 crore was spent on these allegedly inefficient recruitments over the past seven years, contributing to heavy operational losses.

The timing and nature of the cyber intrusion — coupled with the hackers’ specific demand — has raised questions about possible links to the bank’s ongoing internal shake-up.