Written by The Banking Post
Breaking with a long-standing tradition, Bangladesh Bank has decided not to release special sets of new currency notes ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr this year.
Instead, the central bank will supply fresh banknotes through commercial banks throughout the year based on regular demand, marking a shift away from the festival-centric distribution system.
Confirming the policy change, Bangladesh Bank Executive Director and spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan said the central bank is moving away from the conventional practice of issuing new notes before Eid.
“I have no information regarding the special issuance of new notes specifically for Eid. Bangladesh Bank is moving away from the conventional practice of distributing new notes before the festival. Instead, new notes will be supplied through banks year-round,” he said.
He added that there are currently no plans to release new notes tied to any particular festival or date.
The decision ends the familiar pre-Eid rush at central bank counters and designated bank branches, where people traditionally line up to collect crisp notes for salami and gift-giving during the festival.
Earlier, the central bank had hinted that newly designed banknotes—without the portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman—could be released by late April or early May.
A similar development occurred last year when the central bank initially announced the distribution of fresh notes during Ramadan but later postponed the plan. At the time, speculation emerged that the move was linked to objections over notes bearing the signature of then governor Abdur Rouf Talukder alongside the portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
While the central bank has not explained the delay in introducing the redesigned notes, the shift to a year-round supply system is now its official policy.
