New-look Tk 500 banknote set to hit the market

The new notes feature depictions of Bangladesh’s historic and archaeological landmarks

Bangladesh Bank is releasing a new design for the Tk 500 note in the market. These new notes feature depictions of Bangladesh’s historic and archaeological landmarks

After the 2024 student-led mass uprising, the interim government decided to redesign all denominations of currency in circulation.

As part of the push, the central bank is releasing a newly designed Tk 500 note on Thursday.

The note will initially be issued from Bangladesh Bank's Motijheel office and will later be available from other offices, a press release said on Tuesday

The size of the new Tk 500 taka note signed by Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur is 152 mm by 65 mm.

A picture of the Central Shaheed Minar adorns the left side of the note’s front with the national flower – the water lily – can be seen with its leaves and buds in the watermark. The back of the note features a picture of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.

The face of the Royal Bengal Tiger has also been used as a watermark on the note, below which “500” and the Bangladesh Bank monogram can be seen in electrotype. The note is largely green in colour.

The note also has 10 special features for added security. These include colour-changing ink - which changes the '500' on the right side from green to blue when the note is shaken. The note will also have a red and gold-coloured twisted security thread, which shows the words “Tk 500” when held up to light.

For the visually impaired, there are five small circles on the lower right side of the note, which can be felt by touch. Some parts of the note, including the Shaheed Minar and the value, are printed in intaglio, which will feel raised to the touch.

Bangladesh Bank says that it will issue this note for the first time as part of a new series titled “Historical and Archaeological Architecture of Bangladesh”.

Previously, new Tk 20, Tk 50, Tk 100, and Tk 1,000 notes had been released on the market by the central bank.

Though the new note has been introduced, the old paper notes and coins in circulation will remain in use as before. In addition, a special sample (non-exchangeable) Tk 500 note has been printed for coin collectors, which can be collected from the Taka Museum in Mirpur at a fixed price.