Taka, or Bangladeshi Taka, is the currency of Bangladesh. Like most countries, Bangladesh too has a mixed currency system that comprises both coins and banknotes. Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of the country, has the sole authority to issue banknotes in Bangladesh.
So far, the central bank has issued notes in the denominations of Tk5, Tk10, Tk20, Tk50, Tk100, Tk200, Tk500 and Tk1000. The remaining currencies, namely Tk2 and Tk5, are government notes, along with the metal coins in circulation, which are the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance.
What is taka dibosh?
Taka Dibosh, or Taka Day, is a fairly new phenomenon that has been observed since 2021.
In 1972, on the 4th of March, two notes were introduced. Tk1 note and Tk100 note. With the circulation of these new notes, independent Bangladesh started her journey with her own currency called Taka or Bangladeshi Taka.
In commemoration of this special day, Taka dibosh has been observed since 2021 by ‘Collector’, a currency-related quarterly, and this initiation must be applauded considering how important currency and its history are for a nation.
Why is it important?
There are hundreds of days already that we don’t even know about, so why is Taka dibosh important at all? Why should we care?
Well, the day celebrates a special day in the history of our country and its economy. Understanding the importance of its own currency, the taka was launched within a very short time of our independence. And understanding the important nature of this particular day and currency itself, it is only logical that we celebrate such a day, especially when the aim of the day is to ensure that people learn and are more cautious about using Taka.
Taka Museum
If you are curious about Taka and its history and how they have been part of our history for hundreds of years, you may fancy a visit to the Taka Museum at Mirpur-2.
Located on the 1st and 2nd floors of the Bangladesh Bank Training Academy, Mirpur-2, it is one of the points of interest not just for tourists but for Bangladeshi citizens as well.
The museum is set up nicely with potted trees welcoming the visitors at the entrance.
Normally the museum is open to all with no admission fees required. Visiting hours are 11:00am to 04:00pm (Saturday to Wednesday), with the museum being closed on Thursday, Friday and all governmental holidays. During Ramadan, the visiting hours will be 10:00am to 03:00pm (Saturday to Wednesday).
According to the Bangladesh Bank website, Gallery 1 has 42 showcases containing about 1100 objects, and Gallery 2 comprises 16 showcases displaying about 400 objects in this gallery.
Visiting experience
As a first-timer, the visiting experience to the museum was a nice memory. The collections included but were not limited to coins from different eras in the Indian subcontinent, all the Bangladeshi banknotes, commemorative notes and coins, coins and notes from different countries of the world and other currency-related objects.
It was a learning experience seeing different notes from different countries, and that really brings a lot of ideas and discussions to mind. For example, there are notes depicting all sorts of things, such as- historically important personas, landmarks, animals, etc. These depictions say a lot about that country’s history and make one curious about things.
For example, I saw a pretty and brightly coloured note with a pair of armadillos on it and had to look up what it meant. Turns out Venezuela circulated the note with the armadillos representing their biodiversity, ecosystem and nature.
Similarly, each note of Bangladesh holds a story behind it, and they represent different things of our country.
There were a lot of metal coins from different eras of the Indian subcontinent which represented the rich history and society of that time. The designs and intricate works on these metal pieces speak volumes and will draw the history buffs with ease.
Special attraction
There is a souvenir shop at the end of the museum visit. These include different notes and commemorative coins, publications, bags, etc. A souvenir can be an interesting token of your visit. For collectors, this will surely be difficult to pass.
And last but not least, there is a photo booth at the museum where one can take their photo and print a one lakh taka note with their own photo in it as an interesting and fun token of their visit to this museum. This will cost you only Tk50 each.
So this Taka dibosh, if you can spare an hour, why not visit the Taka museum? It will be a learning experience, and for collectors, it will be a fun outing for sure.