Bangladeshi taka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bangladeshi taka
Taka banknotes Sign
ISO 4217 Code	BDT
User(s)	Bangladesh
Inflation	9.41%
Source	BBS, August 2021
Subunit
1⁄100	Poisha (defunct)
Symbol	৳
Poisha	p
Coins
Freq. used	৳1, ৳2, ৳5
Banknotes
Freq. used	৳5, ৳10, ৳20, ৳50, ৳100, ৳200 and ৳500
Rarely used	৳2 and ৳1000
Printer	The Security Printing Corporation Bangladesh Ltd.

The Bangladeshi taka (Bengali: টাকা, sign: ৳, code: BDT, short form: Tk) is the official money of Bangladesh. It is like the dollar in the USA or the euro in Europe. The Bangladesh Bank controls most of the banknotes.

Smaller banknotes, like the ৳2 and ৳5, are mostly replaced by coins now. Very small coins, called poysha, are not used much anymore. This is because their value has gone down over time. The most common symbols for the taka are "৳" and "Tk". You often see "Tk" on receipts when you buy things.

The taka is divided into 100 poysha. However, poysha coins are no longer used in everyday shopping. They are still used for keeping financial records. For example, Tk 123,456.78 means 123,456 taka and 78 poysha. In May 2024, the central bank linked the taka to the US dollar. The rate was set at 117 takas for one US dollar.

What Does 'Taka' Mean?

Jalaluddin's tanka (taka) from the Bengal Sultanate, 15th century

The word taka comes from an old Sanskrit word, tankah. This word meant "silver coin." In Bangladesh, people often use "taka" to mean any kind of money. This is true even if it's not Bangladeshi currency.

This way of using the word is also common in parts of India. In West Bengal and Tripura, the official name for the Indian rupee is also "taka." Other languages in eastern India, like Maithili and Assamese, also use similar words for money.

A Brief History of the Taka

The Bangladeshi taka has an interesting history. It became the official money after Bangladesh became an independent country.

Money Before 1972

Before 1947, Bangladesh was part of British India. After 1947, it became East Pakistan. The money used then was the Pakistani rupee. The word "taka" was also printed on these Pakistani notes. This was because Bengali was one of Pakistan's national languages.

Bangladesh became independent in 1971. The Pakistani rupee was still used for about three months. Then, on March 4, 1972, the Bangladeshi taka was officially introduced. During the war, some people stamped Pakistani banknotes. They wrote "BANGLA DESH" on them to protest Pakistani rule. The Pakistani government then said these stamped notes were not valid. They also removed the value of high-denomination notes. This was to stop stolen money from harming their economy.

The Taka Since 1972

The taka was introduced in Bangladesh in 1972. It replaced the Pakistani rupee at the same value.

Early Banknotes

The first taka notes were issued in 1972. These included ৳1, ৳5, ৳10, and ৳100 notes. Later, in 1977, ৳50 notes were added. The ৳500 note came in 1979, and the ৳20 note in 1982.

The ৳1 notes were printed until 1992. The ৳2 notes were introduced in 1989. In 2008, the ৳1000 banknote was released. The ৳5 banknotes are now mostly replaced by coins.

New Banknote Designs

In 2000, the government tried making ৳10 notes out of plastic, like Australian money. But people didn't like them, so they were stopped. The ৳1 and ৳5 notes are now mostly coins.

In 2011, the Bangladesh Bank started a new series of notes. These included ৳2, ৳5, ৳100, ৳500, and ৳1000. All these notes show a picture of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He is known as the Father of the Nation. They also show the National Martyr's Monument.

More new notes came out in 2012. These were ৳10, ৳20, and ৳50. They also feature Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The back of the ৳10 note shows the Baitul Mukarram mosque. The ৳20 note shows the Sixty Dome Mosque. The ৳50 note shows a famous painting called Ploughing.

New ৳100 notes were released in 2019. They had the same design but better security features. In December 2019, new ৳50 banknotes were issued. They had a different color and small design changes. In 2020, a new ৳200 note was introduced. It shows Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and a village scene.

Special Commemorative Banknotes

Sometimes, special banknotes are made to celebrate important events.

• In 2011, a ৳40 note was made. It celebrated the "40th Victory Anniversary of Bangladesh." It showed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and soldiers.
• In 2012, a ৳60 note was released. This was for "60 years of National Movement." It showed the Shaheed Minar monument.
• In 2013, a ৳25 note celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Security Printing Corporation. It showed the National Martyr's Monument and animals.
• Also in 2013, a ৳100 note marked the 100th anniversary of the Bangladesh National Museum. It showed an old horseman plaque and the museum.

Coins of Bangladesh

50 poysha from 1984 (left) and 25 poysha from 1980 (right).

Coins were first introduced in 1973. These were 5, 10, 25, and 50 poysha coins. One poysha coins came in 1974. The ৳1 coin was introduced in 1975.

The 1, 5, and 10 poysha coins were made of aluminum. The 25 and 50 poysha coins were steel. The ৳1 coin was copper-nickel. The 5 poysha coins were square. The 10 poysha coins had wavy edges. Steel ৳5 coins came in 1994. A steel ৳2 coin followed in 2004.

Today, 1 and 5 poysha coins are rarely seen. The 10, 25, and 50 poysha coins are also not common. This is because their value has decreased. Only the ৳1, ৳2, and ৳5 coins are sometimes used. Unlike many countries, coins are not made every year. The most recent coins were issued in 2013.

Bangladeshi Banknotes

Older Banknote Designs

Bangladeshi 500 & 1000tk banknotes.

Bangladesh released its first banknotes on March 4, 1972. These were the ৳1 and ৳100 notes. Later, ৳5 and ৳10 notes were added. This first set is called the "Map Series." They were made quickly to replace the old Pakistani rupee notes.

Map Series (1972)
Image		Value	What it Shows		Used From
Front	Back		Front	Back
		৳1	Map of Bangladesh	Patterns and "1" in Bengali ("১")	March 4, 1972 - March 30, 1974
		৳5	Map of Bangladesh and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman	Patterns and "5" in Bengali and English	June 2, 1972 - April 1, 1973
		৳10		Patterns and "10" in Bengali and English	May 2, 1972 - April 1, 1973
		৳100		Patterns and "100" in Bengali and English	March 4, 1972 - April 1, 1973

After the first notes, there were rumors and fake money. So, the government made a second series of notes. These were printed by Thomas De La Rue in England. The first notes were then removed from use by April 30, 1974.

Thomas De La Rue Series (1972)
Image		Value	Main Color	What it Shows		First Made
Front	Back			Front	Back
		৳1	Dark purple, light purple, khaki	Hand holding rice	The emblem of Bangladesh	March 2, 1973
		৳5	Red	Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman	Shapla flowers	September 1, 1972
		৳10	Green		Countryside with rivers	June 2, 1972
		৳100	Gray		Countryside with rivers	September 1, 1972

The government also worked with another company, Bradbury Wilkinson. They printed notes with different designs around the same time. So, two different sets of notes were used at once.

In 1976, a new series of notes came out. These notes did not have Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's picture. Instead, they showed the Star Mosque on the front. New ৳50 and ৳500 notes were added.

The fifth series of banknotes was released from 1977 to 1979. These notes looked similar to the fourth series. But the Star Mosque was replaced by new pictures. The colors were also a bit darker. A new ৳20 note was introduced in 1979.

In the 1980s, some taka notes were redesigned. A new ৳2 note was added. The ৳10 and ৳50 notes also got new looks.

During the 1990s, new designs for ৳10, ৳50, and ৳500 notes were printed. The ৳10 note now featured a picture of Bangabandhu.

The eighth series was printed between 2000 and 2001. A plastic ৳10 note was tried, but it was not popular. New paper notes for ৳100 and ৳500 were printed. These new notes showed a picture of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

After a change in government, new notes were introduced in 2002–2003. These notes did not have Bangabandhu's picture. In 2008, the ৳1000 note was released for the first time.

Current Banknotes in Use

The Bangladesh Bank has been releasing new banknotes. These new notes have better security features. All notes, except the ৳1 note, show a picture of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the front. They also have a watermark of the National Martyrs' Memorial.

Bangabandhu Series (Latest Issue)
Image		Value	Size	Main Color		What it Shows			Date First Used
Front	Back					Front	Back	Watermark
		৳2	100 × 60 mm		Tan & Green	Sheikh Mujibur Rahman	Shaheed Minar, Dhaka	National Martyrs' Memorial and electrotype value	July 15, 2021
		৳5	110 × 65 mm		Grey		Kusumba Mosque		January 5, 2017
		৳10	115 × 65 mm		Pink		Baitul Mukarram National Mosque		March 7, 2012
		৳20	120 × 65 mm		Green		Sixty Dome Mosque		March 7, 2012
		৳50	131 × 65 mm		Orange		Ploughing (Zainul Abedin's painting)		December 15, 2019
		৳100	139 × 65 mm		Blue		Star Mosque		August 9, 2011
		৳200	139 × 65 mm		Yellow		Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, agriculture in Bangladesh		March 17, 2020
		৳500	147 × 65 mm		Cyan		Agriculture in Bangladesh		August 9, 2011
		৳1000	155 × 65 mm		Violet		Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban		August 9, 2011

Special Commemorative Banknotes

Sometimes, special banknotes are made to celebrate important events. For example, a folder for a 40th anniversary note had a spelling mistake. It said Bangldesh instead of Bangladesh.

How Taka's Value Changes

Taka's Value Over Time

When Bangladesh became independent, 1 US dollar was worth about ৳7.5 to ৳8.0. The value of the taka went down almost every year until 1987. To help, Bangladesh got financial aid from the International Monetary Fund.

In 1975, the government changed its mind and lowered the taka's value by 56 percent. This helped them get more support from the World Bank. Between 1980 and 1983, the taka's value dropped by about 50 percent. This was due to problems with Bangladesh's international payments.

From 1985 to 1987, the taka's value was adjusted often. It became about 12 percent lower against the US dollar. In January 2011, 1 US dollar was about ৳72. By April 2012, it was about ৳82. In September 2015, 1 US dollar was worth ৳77. As of August 2024, 1 US dollar is about ৳117.52.

Images for kids

See Also

• Economy of Bangladesh
• The Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Ltd.