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.
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Gaza's trail of blood leads straight to his door Read More » Rather, it is about arming Israel to weaken those, like Iran and its regional allies, who refuse to submit to the West's domination of the Middle East - or in the case of Palestinians, to their own dispossession and erasure. In that way, arming Israel is seen as no different from arming Ukraine to weaken Russian influence in eastern Europe. It is about containing the West's geostrategic rivals - or potential partners, were they not viewed exclusively through the prism of western 'full-spectrum dominance' - as effectively as Israel has locked Palestinians into prisons and concentration camps in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. This strategy is about averting any danger that one day Russia, China, Iran and others could unite effectively to oust the US and its allies from their heavily fortified hilltop. Alliances like Brics are seen as a potential vehicle for such an assault on western dominance. 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Former British diplomat Craig Murray was more direct: his sources within government suggested Fox had been conspiring with Israel in a 'rogue' foreign policy towards Iran, against Britain's stated aims. Crime scene The West's behaviours are ideologically driven, not rational or moral. The compulsive, self-sabotaging nature of western support for Israel's genocide in Gaza is no different - though far grosser - than the self-sabotaging nature of its actions in Ukraine. The West has lost the battle against Russia, but refuses to learn or adapt. And it has spent whatever moral legitimacy it still had left in propping up an Israeli military occupier bent on starving millions of people to death, if they cannot be ethnically cleansed into Egypt first. Netanyahu has not been the easy-to-sell, cuddly military mascot that Zelensky proved to be in Ukraine. Rather than distance herself from Israel's atrocities, she is happy to place herself - and the UK - at the crime scene Support for Kyiv could at least be presented as taking the right side in a clash of civilisations with a barbarous Russia. Support for Israel simply exposes the West's hypocrisy, its worship of power for its own sake, and its psychopathic instincts. Support for Israel's genocide has hollowed out the West's claim to moral superiority for all but its most deluded devotees. Sadly, those still include most of the western political and media establishments, whose only rationale is to evangelise for the belief system over which they preside, claiming it to be the worthiest in history. Some, like Starmer, are trying to moderate their rhetoric in a desperate attempt to protect the morally bankrupt system that has invested them with power. Others, like Badenoch, are still so enthralled by the cult of a superior West that they are blind to how preposterous their rantings sound to anyone no longer rapt in devotion. Rather than distance herself from Israel's atrocities, she is happy to place herself - and the UK - at the crime scene. The scales have fallen from the western public's eyes. Now is the time to hold our leaders fully to account. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Campaign ME
15 hours ago
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TikTok has made huge efforts to connect with local influencers. The platform understood the rise of local trends and the importance of fostering local communities. The introduction of TikTok Shops has been a game-changer, especially in the Gulf's booming e-commerce market. TikTok has shown that it cares and nurtures the creative community in the Gulf. It ran the Creator Hub programme to discover and support new creators. Course correction for brands Entering new regions is not easy and even the most successful of brands can make missteps. When that happens, change. Course correction is not an admission of failure; it's a sign of responsiveness and strategic depth. Coming into the region with an open mindset will go a long way. When brands reposition to better reflect local aspirations, values or lifestyles they are more likely to be welcomed. Whether introducing modest fashion lines, halal food certification or Arabic language packaging, modifying products will help make global brands feel part of the region. Global brands need to be on the ground, employing local people and working with local partners and influencers – and then they will find the right tone of voice and approach. In a region as nuanced as the Middle East, the most successful global brands are those that listen, learn and evolve. By Nancy Villanueva, CEO, Iberia and Middle East, Interbrand
