About seven years ago, I opened all my companies’ employees’ accounts in the Bank of Baroda’s Deira branch. They were quite prompt, with nominal charges and the best part is there was no minimum balance. After all these years, nothing has changed. We maintained a company account along with the employees’ account with them, as we were satisfied with the service and online banking.
In March 2017, I sent one of our new employees to open an account, and he took all the documents required with him. He was turned back and the bank told him they wouldn’t open an account for Pakistani passport holders. I went with him the next day to ask, and was informed by the manager in that section that due to Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s instructions, they could not open an account for any nationality other than Indian nationals and Emiratis. They would not confirm it in writing and online.
Even though the manager was very polite, I was a little upset and angry — not at him but at the bank. In this day and age in 2017, when so many of us know there is no difference between Indians and Pakistanis, where all of us live together in peace and harmony around the world, the bank does not want to open an account because of nationality.
I am not writing an email to force the bank to open the account only for my employee but only to change the policy towards other nationalities. We are all the same.
From Mr Amiralia Sharif
Dubai
Editor’s note:
The complaint was forwarded to Bank of Baroda for comments. However, its management did not respond.
(Process initiation: April 5. Process completion: July 27.)
Editor’s note: Do you have similar issues that you would like to raise with us? You can write to us at readers@gulfnews.com.
