Staff Correspondent:

Ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, Bangladesh Bank is set to release new banknotes on 19 March. These fresh notes will be available at banks shortly after the release. Reports confirm that the upcoming banknotes will also feature the image of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

According to sources from Bangladesh Bank, the new Tk5, Tk20, and Tk50 notes will include Sheikh Mujib’s portrait. Meanwhile, the Tk100, Tk200, Tk500, and Tk1,000 notes will retain their existing designs.

Officials of the central bank clarified that these notes are not newly printed but are part of previously printed stock.

Bangladesh Bank spokesperson and executive director Arif Hossain Khan said that a large volume of printed currency is currently in reserve, and discarding them would lead to a significant financial loss. Therefore, the pre-printed notes will be circulated for Eid.

However, newly printed banknotes are expected to enter circulation by April-May, featuring a redesigned look. Reports suggest that these new notes will replace Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s image with religious landmarks, elements of Bengali heritage, and symbols of the July Revolution.

At present, Bangladesh Bank holds approximately Tk20,000 crore worth of banknotes featuring Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s image, which will be gradually released into the market.