The Bangladesh Bank (BB) has suspended the exchange of fresh notes for the public ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr as part of its initiative to introduce newly designed banknotes.

In a directive issued on Sunday, the central bank instructed all scheduled banks to halt the exchange of fresh notes and instead keep them in reserve. Banks have been advised to conduct all cash transactions using only re-circulated currency.

A senior central bank official said that the decision aligns with efforts to eliminate fascist symbols from Bangladeshi banknotes, in keeping with the spirit of the July Uprising. "All notes featuring fascist symbols will gradually be withdrawn from circulation and replaced with the new design," he said.

BB spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan told The Mirror Asia that the redesigned banknotes, expected to reflect the spirit of the July Uprising along with key historical events, landmarks, and national figures, will be released ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

 “If we issue fresh notes with the previous design now, it could delay the rollout of the new series,” he explained.

As a result, the existing notes bearing the old design are being systematically withdrawn, and their circulation has been suspended.