Fresh currency notes are selling at sharply higher premiums on Dhaka’s sidewalks ahead of Eid after Bangladesh Bank decided not to release new notes for public exchange this year, pushing eager buyers to the informal market.
Traders say customers now have to pay an extra Tk150 to Tk400 for a bundle of new notes ranging from Tk2 to Tk1,000. Only a few days earlier, the same bundles were selling at premiums of about Tk100 to Tk300.
Although selling new notes as a commodity is illegal, around 80 makeshift stalls operate on pavements near Bangladesh Bank in Motijheel and in front of Gulistan Sports Market, where traders openly sell fresh notes and exchange torn or damaged currency.
In previous years, Bangladesh Bank released new currency notes before Eid to allow people to exchange old notes through designated bank branches. The central bank, however, did not release new notes for Eid-ul-Fitr last year or this year.
Last year, officials said the suspension was due to the printing of newly designed banknotes. Those redesigned notes later entered the market before Eid-ul-Azha in 2025 and were distributed through selected bank branches. This year, however, the central bank has completely stepped back from supplying new notes for the festival.
A recent internal instruction from Bangladesh Bank states that no new notes will be supplied to the market for Eid, although central bank employees will be allowed to collect a limited amount.
Many buyers say they failed to obtain fresh notes even after visiting bank branches and had no option but to turn to street vendors.
Traders said demand for new notes has surged over the past four to five days, partly because the Eid holiday began earlier this year, drawing more customers to the market.
Bundles of Tk5, Tk10 and Tk20 notes are the most sought after. New-design notes of Tk10, Tk20, Tk50 and Tk100 are also widely seen in the market, often selling at higher premiums as buyers prefer the redesigned currency.
Prices vary depending on the denomination and design. A bundle of newly printed Tk2 notes with the old design sells for an extra Tk100 to Tk150. Bundles of Tk10 old-design notes fetch Tk250 to Tk300 above face value, while new-design Tk10 notes cost about Tk300 to Tk350 extra.
For Tk20 notes, bundles of the new design sell for Tk300 to Tk350 above face value, while the old design costs Tk250 to Tk300 extra. A bundle of Tk50 old-design notes sells at about Tk200 above face value, and new-design notes fetch Tk250 to Tk300 extra.
Bundles of Tk100 notes – both old and new designs – are selling at premiums of Tk300 to Tk400. Bundles of Tk200, Tk500 and Tk1,000 notes are typically priced Tk200 to Tk300 above face value. Prices, however, vary between vendors, and some buyers are able to negotiate discounts of Tk20 to Tk50 per bundle.
Bangladesh Bank spokesperson Arief Hossain Khan said demand for new notes tends to rise during festivals but stressed that the public should move away from the practice.
“Every festival creates demand for fresh notes, but we must gradually move away from that culture as Bangladesh is moving toward a cashless economy,” he told TIMES. “New notes are not a product to be sold. Selling them as a commodity is completely illegal.”
He added that law enforcement agencies would take action if anyone was found involved in such trading. “If any bank employee is involved, administrative measures will be taken against them,” he said.
