Temple Image Instead of Mosque on the 20 Taka Note: Public Opinion

Recently, Bangladesh Bank changed the design of the currency note. It replaced the image of the historic 60-dome mosque of Bangladesh with the image of a temple. The discussions and criticisms at various levels of society regarding this change in the note are summarized below.

1. Perspective of the Muslim Community Muslims have been seeing the traditional 60-dome mosque on the 20 Taka note for many years. Many have expressed dissatisfaction when that was suddenly removed and replaced with a temple image. Their argument is, “Since 90% of the people in Bangladesh are Muslim, it is not very reasonable to make such a change without considering their feelings.” At the same time, even though the government wants to remain secular, many have pointed out the need to consider the feelings of the majority population.

2. Reaction of the Hindu Community Within the Hindu community, seeing the image of a temple on the currency note has created a sense of recognition. “The Constitution of Bangladesh is secular; the placement of a temple on the note—this is its reflection,” has become a common perspective. However, some have expressed concern about how much the design of the note will change in the future with symbols of other religions.

3. Statements from Political Parties and Social Workers Many opposition parties are saying, “This plays with religious sentiments”; they mention that the demands of the majority Muslim community were not met. On the other hand, supporters argue, “Secularism means equal respect for all religions; that is why the image of a temple was placed on the note.”

4. Mixed Feelings of the General Public Public opinion is divided into two parts. Some say, “Showing too many religious images on the note will increase division”—while others feel, “If both religions have a place on the currency, it reflects our country’s diversity.” Still others have said that if the design of the note is changed too frequently, it leads to confusion.

5. Economic and Design Impact The new note has brought additional costs and printing complexities. Many designers say, “It is good to showcase multicultural heritage on the currency, but changing it repeatedly is not practical from a policy or financial standpoint.”

Conclusion The image of a temple has been placed on the 20 Taka note to attempt to demonstrate a secular perspective. However, it has sparked debate over the need to consider the feelings of the Muslim community and uncertainty about future note designs. Coordinated discussions among the Ministry of Home Affairs, religious leaders, and civil society are most important so that the currency design can become a symbol of collective unity for all communities.