Bangladesh banknotes replace ousted PM's father portrait

Bangladesh on Sunday issued new banknotes to replace designs featuring its founding president, the father of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina who was overthrown last year.

The South Asian nation of some 170 million people has been run by a caretaker government since Hasina fled -- whose trial opened Sunday on charges of trying to crush the uprising against her government in August 2024.

Until now, all notes featured the portrait of her father, the late Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led Bangladesh from independence from Pakistan in 1971 until soldiers assassinated him and most of his family in a 1975 coup.

"Under the new series and design, the notes will not feature any human portraits, but will instead showcase natural landscapes and traditional landmarks," Bangladesh Bank spokesman Arif Hossain Khan told the media.

Among the designs in the Muslim-majority nation are images of Hindu and Buddhist temples, as well as historical palaces.

They also include artwork of the late painter Zainul Abedin, depicting the Bengal famine during British colonial rule.

Another will depict the national martyrs' memorial for those who died in the independence war against Pakistan.

On Sunday, notes for three of the nine different denominations were released.

"The new notes will be issued from the central bank's headquarters, and later from its other offices across the country," he added.

"The other denominations of the notes with new designs will be released in phases".

Existing notes and coins will remain in circulation alongside the new notes.

It is not the first time that the design has changed to reflect changing politics.

Initial notes issued in 1972 -- after Bangladesh changed its name from East Pakistan -- featured a map.

Later notes featured Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led the Awami League, which Hasina also led during her 15 years in power.

When other parties were in charge -- dominated by the powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) -- historic and archaeological sites featured.

The Awami League was banned last month pending the trial of Hasina and other party leaders.

Hasina, 77, is in self-imposed exile in India, and has defied an extradition order to attend her trial.

Agence France-Presse