Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC regained control of its verified Facebook page 12 hours after it was hacked.

According to the bank’s public relations division, access to the page was restored around 4pm on Friday, with the information officially shared with the media at 4:30 pm.

Nazrul Islam, head of the bank’s public relations division, said, “Our official Facebook page was hacked early in the morning. Throughout the day, we maintained communication with Facebook authorities. Finally, around 4:00 pm, we regained control. The page is now operating normally.”

Earlier on Friday, the page was hacked by a group identifying itself as “MS 470 X.” The hackers changed the profile and cover photos to display their logo and posted a statement claiming responsibility, citing the bank’s alleged unethical activities. The post also demanded the reinstatement of dismissed employees but was later removed.

Internal sources said Islami Bank recently undertook a large-scale downsizing initiative, dismissing more than 400 officials while others resigned voluntarily. In addition, 4,953 officials who did not take part in a special evaluation test were made officers on special duty (OSD).

The bank has also issued a recruitment notice for new staff. Against this backdrop, analysts consider the hacking incident significant.

The bank has assured that its Facebook page is now fully secured and functioning normally. However, the incident has renewed concerns over the institution’s IT security management and public trust.