Bangladesh Introduces New Banknotes Without Portraits
AFP
Dhaka: Bangladesh has unveiled a new series of banknotes that no longer feature portraits, replacing the longstanding images of the country’s founding president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, father of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
The move comes as a caretaker government governs the South Asian nation of 170 million people following the exile of Hasina, whose trial began Sunday on charges related to her alleged efforts to suppress the anti-government uprising in August 2024.
For decades, all Bangladeshi banknotes displayed the portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the nation’s independence leader who was assassinated alongside most of his family during a 1975 military coup.
The new notes instead highlight the country’s cultural and natural heritage, featuring images of Hindu and Buddhist temples, historic palaces, and traditional landscapes, said Bangladesh Bank spokesman Arif Hossain Khan.
The redesigned currency also pays tribute to the late painter Zainul Abedin, with artwork depicting the Bengal famine under British colonial rule, and includes imagery of the national martyrs’ memorial.
Three of the nine denominations in the new series were released on Sunday, with distribution starting from the central bank’s headquarters and extending to regional offices. Existing notes and coins will continue to circulate alongside the new currency, with remaining denominations to be introduced gradually.
This redesign is not unprecedented in Bangladesh’s history. The first banknotes issued after independence in 1972 featured a map of the country, while subsequent notes under different governments alternated between images of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and various historic and archaeological sites, reflecting shifting political landscapes.
The ruling Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, was banned last month amid ongoing trials of Hasina and other party leaders. Hasina, 77, remains in self-imposed exile in India, refusing to comply with an extradition request to attend her trial.
