Developing An Islamic Framework Of Public Relations Practice For Islamic Banks In Bangladesh

This research tries to understand how the Islamic banks of Bangladesh practice public relations following Islamic principles. It tries to analyse their public relations strategies, functions and activities. It also attempts to analyse their Islamic corporate social responsibility activities as a part of public relations. As the previous studies on this issue were mainly conceptual and the researcher did not find any empirical studies in Bangladesh, this study tries to fill this gap. This research aims at developing a framework for Islamic public relations in the Islamic banking industry. A qualitative method was adopted through in-depth interviews with sixteen informants, including eight heads of public relations/corporate communications and eight members of the Shariah secretariat of eight full-fledged Islamic Banks of Bangladesh. Informants were selected using the purposive sampling method. Data were analysed using thematic analysis following the process of coding, categorizing and thematizing. The study found that the public relations departments of Islamic banks in Bangladesh follow Islamic principles in their public relations practice as the Muslim customers usually trust them when Islamic components are used. The Islamic principles are based on religious beliefs, universal values, practical examples of Islamic good public relations practices and Maqasid Shariah. The study also found that the main strategy of Public Relations in Islamic Banks of Bangladesh is to attract Islamic customers through Islamic branding, Islamic culture, Islamic services, and unity in diversity. It also found that they perform some Islamic functions along with the conventional functions of public relations practices