Bangladesh Bank has issued a strict directive requiring all bank branches to accept torn, damaged, and dirty currency notes from the public and provide usable replacements. The circular, released on Sunday, warns that any bank showing reluctance to serve customers in this regard will face legal action under the Bank Company Act, 1991. The directive takes immediate effect.

According to the central bank, despite previous instructions to ensure smooth cash transactions, a large number of defective notes remain in circulation. To address this, banks must set up special counters to regularly collect damaged notes of all denominations, particularly smaller ones such as 5, 10, 20, and 50 taka, and replace them with usable notes.

The move aims to maintain the quality of currency in circulation and ensure uninterrupted public access to clean and usable banknotes across the country.