BANGLADESH 1 Rupee 1964

NOTE regarding "BANGLADESH" - Stamped Pakistani Banknotes

After nine months of liberation struggle, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) achieved its independence on December 16, 1971, following a war of liberation against the Pakistani military. After the victory, a special order was issued, establishing the Bangladesh Bank, which became the central bank of the new state.

During the initial period, Pakistani banknotes of 1, 5, 10, and 50 rupees were accepted as legal currency in Bangladesh, as the country was not yet able to issue its own banknotes. This situation lasted until March 4, 1972, when the first banknotes of Bangladesh were finally issued.

In the meantime, some Bengalis, as a protest against the Pakistani government, adopted an unofficial practice: they stamped Pakistani banknotes with the word "BANGLADESH" in Bengali or English. This act, which mainly occurred in the early morning hours, became a symbol of the claim for sovereignty and national identity of the newly born Bangladesh.