Staff Reporter:

Providing fresh currency notes as Eid gifts is a Bangladeshi tradition. Therefore, ahead of Eid, Bangladesh Bank releases new currency notes into the market.

However, this will not happen in the upcoming Eid, which has caused some disappointment among the public.

Along with this, questions have arisen—when will the new currency be available? Will the new notes still feature Sheikh Mujib’s image? Or will there be an image of another person?

Interim government financial advisor Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed has answered these questions. He provided detailed insights on this matter in Khaled Mahmududdin’s talk show on Thikana.

The financial advisor blamed the delay in decision-making by the central bank for the absence of new currency during Eid. He said, “The central bank could have decided this themselves. We can’t dictate everything—whether to change the design or include multiple images. During my tenure as governor, there were no images on the currency. I didn’t allow it. Some suggested featuring Kazi Nazrul, others Rabindranath Tagore, and I even questioned why not Kaikobad? I argued that there was no need for individuals’ images; instead, they could include historical landmarks. No one raised objections back then, and we used images of mosques and temples.”

Regarding the release date of the new currency, the financial advisor said, “Currently, the notes feature Bangabandhu’s image, but that phase is ending. The design was submitted quite late, though we reviewed it quickly.

However, now they are saying it will take time. Even the Chief Advisor expressed frustration about the delay and asked me why my team was taking so long. I clarified that it’s not my team—it’s actually Bangladesh Bank’s responsibility.

We approved it within a couple of days, but Bangladesh Bank is taking longer. They have stated that the new currency will be available by April.”

He added, “For now, they are saying they can only provide old currency notes—meaning the existing 500 and 1,000 taka notes.

They also asked whether they should integrate the new features into those notes, to which we said no. Since a new government is coming in, they should decide whether to release them.

Most people will question why these notes are being issued now. The general public believes it would be better to have new currency notes. But I argue that a temporary shortage is fine—people can use credit cards or bank transfers if necessary. Is new currency really that essential just for gifting relatives 500 taka notes?”

Giving new currency as Eid gifts is a tradition, and Eid is not an unexpected event. So why was this decision not made earlier? In response, the financial advisor admitted, “I won’t deny this. If the plan for new Eid currency had been made a little earlier—perhaps in September or right after the new government took office in August—we could have had the notes by January”.

Finally, regarding whether the new currency will feature an individual’s image, the financial advisor stated, “The design was sent to us in mid-December. After the Chief Advisor reviewed it with the team within a couple of days, a decision was made. However, the unavailability of new notes during Eid is unfortunate. This time, the new currency design will not feature any individual’s image”.