Amid the busy rush before Eid-ul-Adha, many consumers have faced a frustrating surprise: new Taka banknotes issued by the central bank aren’t being accepted by ATMs and Cash Recycler Machines (CRMs). This issue, reported just days ago, is causing inconvenience in banking services nationwide. The central bank released around Tk 500 crore in new notes this week. While ATMs accept them for withdrawal, they surprisingly cannot read them during deposits or cash recycling. In some cases, machines simply reject the notes. Consumers who tried to deposit cash at machines were met with error messages and returned bills, forcing them to visit teller counters—leading to long queues at banks and growing frustration. This glitch poses a test to both banking infrastructure and food logistics ahead of the holiday, when demand for reliable cash flow is high. If deposits stall, merchants and suppliers may struggle with payments as digital payments are still not accessible everywhere. Banks are now pointing fingers. One banking official told The Business Standard that “machine firmware was not yet updated with the new note parameters.” However, a statement from the central bank suggests the rollout was hurried due to high demand and that updates to machine software are underway. Customers report confusion and inconvenience. “I tried depositing Tk 2,000 through the CRM near my home, but it was rejected three times,” said a Dhaka resident. “I ended up queuing at the branch for over an hour.” Even though it’s inconvenient, banks are trying to fix the problem. Technicians are being dispatched to ATMs and CRMs nationwide to apply firmware updates. One major bank plans to complete updates “within the next 48 hours,” assuring the public that normal service will resume before Eid transfers peak. The malfunction shows how important smooth integration of banknote changes is to financial service reliability. Experts say this is a wake-up call for improved synchronization across the central bank, technology vendors, and machine operators. On the bright side, the public response has been measured. Many understand the need for new notes and welcome the chance to improve security. And once the firmware is updated, the updated CRMs and ATMs should recognize new banknotes properly—improving service ahead of future holidays. In summary, though the rollout of new note designs hit a technical roadblock, coordinated action from banks, tech providers, and consumers is already underway. With swift firmware updates in progress, the systems are expected to normalize before the festive rush. The episode underscores the importance of operational readiness when launching currency upgrades on a national scale.
