The Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Ltd.

The Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Ltd., commonly known as SPCBL, is Bangladesh's principal state security-printing institution. It produces the country's paper currency and government postage stamps, along with a broad range of documents and labels that require controlled production, specialized printing processes, or protection against counterfeiting. Its work includes banknotes and commemorative notes, prize bonds, savings certificates, judicial and revenue stamps, postal stationery, cheque books, share certificates, treasury bonds, academic certificates, and tax-control labels. The corporation was established in 1988 as a project of Bangladesh Bank. Its secured production complex at Shafipur in Gazipur occupies approximately 66 acres and officially began operations in 1989. From April 1992, SPCBL operated as an autonomous organization under the applicable laws of Bangladesh, while remaining financially supported and institutionally governed by Bangladesh Bank. Its board has seven members and is led by the governor of the central bank, reflecting the corporation's role as critical national infrastructure rather than a conventional commercial printing company. SPCBL prints Bangladesh's paper banknotes through a tightly controlled multistage process. Production involves specialist paper, inks, numbering, intaglio and other security-printing techniques, inspection, counting, packaging, and secure transfer. Cotton-based banknote paper and much of the machinery and ink used in production are imported. The corporation has acquired specialist equipment from European suppliers, including intaglio printing machinery, while security inks have been sourced from international manufacturers. The facility does not mint metallic coins; coin production is treated as uneconomic to undertake domestically, so SPCBL's currency role is principally focused on notes and related paper instruments. Its product portfolio extends beyond currency. The corporation supplies stamps and other revenue instruments to government departments, produces secure stationery for banks and private institutions, and prints certificates for education boards. It has also undertaken high-quality four-colour postage-stamp work for an overseas client, Nepal, although Bangladesh remains its central market. The organization is a regular member of the International Government Printers Association, connecting it with the wider community of official printers. The corporation's public profile increased during discussions about redesigning Bangladesh's taka notes after the political change of 2024. Bangladesh Bank announced plans for a new series with revised themes and security features. Reported features for the new notes include colour-changing security threads, microprinting, see-through registration elements, and optically variable ink. The redesign process also involved proposals from a Currency and Design Advisory Committee and changes to visual motifs associated with earlier note series. SPCBL marked its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2013 through a commemorative 25-taka note issued by Bangladesh Bank, with an image of the corporation's headquarters on the reverse. The organization also maintains a money museum in its official premises. Because it handles currency and high-value government instruments, the facility operates under stringent security procedures and is subject to public scrutiny concerning procurement, staffing, management appointments, production costs, and alleged misconduct. Several allegations have been reported in connection with the corporation, but the available reference material does not establish that every allegation resulted in a final judicial or administrative finding.

SPCBL was created in 1988 to give Bangladesh a domestic institutional base for producing banknotes and other sensitive printed materials. It began as a Bangladesh Bank project, and its Gazipur facility officially commenced operations in 1989 on a secured site of about 66 acres. The location and controlled production environment were intended to support the handling of currency, official stamps, and documents whose authenticity and circulation needed to be protected. In April 1992, the organization began operating as an autonomous corporation under Bangladesh's existing legal framework. Despite that organizational status, it remained closely tied to Bangladesh Bank. The central bank funds the institution, determines or commissions much of its currency output, and provides the governance structure through a seven-member board chaired by the Bangladesh Bank governor. This arrangement reflects SPCBL's public-service role: it is not primarily a consumer-facing brand or an independent commercial printer, but an official production arm serving the monetary, postal, revenue, education, and financial systems. The corporation's principal historical function has been printing Bangladesh's paper taka. Its production chain uses specialist cotton-based paper, imported inks, security materials, numbering equipment, and intaglio and related printing technologies. The first major machinery phase referenced in the source material involved equipment supplied in 2001. Additional intaglio printing machines were acquired in 2010 and 2014. These investments supported the production of notes with multiple anti-counterfeiting characteristics and allowed the corporation to perform a large proportion of the country's regular banknote work domestically. Metallic coins are outside its normal capability; the source material states that domestic coin minting is not considered economically viable. Over time, SPCBL expanded or maintained a broad portfolio of government and institutional security products. In addition to ordinary and commemorative banknotes, it prints prize bonds, savings certificates, postage stamps, court-fee and revenue stamps, postal envelopes, postcards, treasury bonds, share certificates, cheque books, academic certificates, and various tax bands and labels. These include labels used for tobacco-related products, toilet soap, vehicle route permits, vehicle fitness documentation, and vehicle taxes. The corporation has also supplied high-quality four-colour postage stamps to Nepal, demonstrating limited cross-border production work while retaining Bangladesh as its core operating market. Its role was publicly commemorated in 2013, when Bangladesh Bank issued a 25-taka note for SPCBL's twenty-fifth anniversary. The note featured the corporation's headquarters. The organization also operates a money museum at its official premises, adding an educational and historical function to its production activities. Currency redesign became an important later development. After the political transition of 2024, Bangladesh Bank announced plans for a redesigned taka series intended for introduction from 2025. A nine-member Currency and Design Advisory Committee was tasked with developing themes for submission to the Ministry of Finance. Reported design changes included removing Sheikh Mujib's portrait from the relevant series and incorporating imagery associated with the July Revolution. The new notes were described as incorporating colour-changing threads, microprinting, see-through patterns, and optically variable ink; the source material states that a taka note may contain ten security features. The corporation has also faced allegations involving governance, procurement, staffing, management appointments, certification, and possible criminal or militant connections. Reports discussed alleged irregularities in past managing-director appointments and equipment purchases, claims of corruption among officials, and concerns about technical qualifications. In 2023, an employee was arrested over alleged links to Ansar Al Islam. In 2024, authorities reportedly examined suspected certification fraud and, after the political transition, allegations were made against former senior central-bank and corporation officials concerning note production. These matters should be treated as reported allegations unless supported by a final court or official finding. The available reference material does not establish a definitive conclusion for each claim.

• 2024

  Redesign of taka banknotes announced

  [1]The Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Ltd.en.wikipedia.org

  Bangladesh Bank announced plans for a redesigned banknote series and formed a Currency and Design Advisory Committee to propose themes and visual treatments.

• 2014

  Further intaglio machinery acquired

  [1]The Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Ltd.en.wikipedia.org

  A further intaglio printing machine was acquired to support secure banknote production.

• 2013

  Twenty-fifth anniversary commemorated

  [1]The Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Ltd.en.wikipedia.org

  Bangladesh Bank issued a 25-taka commemorative note showing SPCBL's headquarters.

• 2010

  Additional intaglio printing capacity acquired

  [1]The Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Ltd.en.wikipedia.org

  SPCBL acquired an intaglio printing machine as part of an expansion of high-security currency-printing capability.

• 2001

  First major specialist machinery phase

  [1]The Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Ltd.en.wikipedia.org

  The corporation received an early major batch of specialist banknote-printing machinery from European suppliers.

• 1992

  Became an autonomous organization

  [1]The Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Ltd.en.wikipedia.org

  From April 1992, SPCBL operated as an autonomous organization under Bangladesh's applicable legal framework while remaining funded and governed through Bangladesh Bank.

• 1989

  Gazipur production facility began operations

  [1]The Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Ltd.en.wikipedia.org

  The secured facility at Gazipur officially commenced operations on a site of approximately 66 acres.

• 1988

  Established as a Bangladesh Bank project

  [1]The Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Ltd.en.wikipedia.org

  SPCBL was established to develop Bangladesh's domestic capacity for secure production of banknotes and other official documents.

National critical infrastructure and official security printer

• Currency · 1989

  Bangladeshi taka banknotes

  SPCBL's core output is Bangladesh's paper currency, covering multiple taka denominations and commemorative issues commissioned through Bangladesh Bank. Notes are produced using specialist cotton-based paper, security inks, intaglio and related processes, numbering, inspection, and controlled packaging. The corporation does not mint metallic coins.

• Government documents

  Postage and revenue stamps

  The corporation prints Bangladesh's official postage stamps and a range of revenue instruments, including judicial, court-fee, and non-judicial stamps. It has also produced high-quality four-colour postage stamps for Nepal, showing that its secure-printing capability has served at least one foreign postal customer.

• Security printing

  Secure financial and legal stationery

  SPCBL produces savings certificates, prize bonds, treasury bonds, share certificates, cheque books, bank schedules, and other protected stationery. These products support financial institutions and public administration by combining controlled manufacture with document features intended to deter alteration and unauthorized reproduction.

• Certificates

  Academic certificates

  The corporation prints academic certificates for education boards and related institutions. Such documents form part of SPCBL's wider role in producing official papers whose authenticity, standardized format, and resistance to forgery are important for public administration.

• Tax-control materials

  Tax bands and tax labels

  SPCBL produces tax bands and labels used for products and public services, including tobacco-related packaging, toilet soap packets, vehicle route permits, vehicle fitness documents, and vehicle taxes. These items provide visible evidence of tax or regulatory processing and therefore require controlled issuance.

• 2024

  Reported concerns involving certification and institutional oversight

  Reports described monitoring and suspicions related to fraudulent certification connected with the Technical Education Board, as well as broader concerns over staff qualifications and institutional oversight.

  Source

• 2024

  Allegations concerning note printing during the previous political era

  After the August 2024 political transition, allegations were made against former Bangladesh Bank governor Abdur Rouf Talukder and senior SPCBL officials concerning the printing of large quantities of notes. The available reference does not verify the claims through a final finding.

  Source

• 2023

  Employee arrested over alleged militant connection

  SPCBL employee Yusuf Ali Sarkar was arrested on allegations of involvement with Ansar Al Islam. The available material does not state a final judicial outcome.

  Source

• 2018

  Further allegations over managing-director tenure

  Bangladesh Bank governor Fazle Kabir and a contracting company were reportedly accused of lobbying to retain managing director Sheikh Azizul Haque after retirement in connection with alleged tender-related corruption. The claim is presented as an allegation in the reference material.

  Source

• 2016

  Allegations surrounding managing-director appointment and procurement

  Reports alleged political lobbying and procurement irregularities involving the appointment or reappointment of a managing director, equipment purchases, imported parts, machine contracts, staffing, audit matters, and other aspects of corporate administration. The available reference does not establish that all allegations were proven.

  Source

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• 2024

  Plan to redesign the taka banknote seriesGeneration change

  Background

  Following Bangladesh's 2024 political transition, Bangladesh Bank announced that the visual design of taka notes would be reconsidered.

  Action taken

  A nine-member Currency and Design Advisory Committee was selected to develop themes for submission to the Ministry of Finance. Reported proposals included removing Sheikh Mujib's portrait and adding imagery associated with the July Revolution.

  Aftermath

  The proposed series was described as incorporating colour-changing threads, microprinting, see-through patterns, and optically variable ink, although the available reference does not document the complete rollout of every denomination.

  Source

1. 1The Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Ltd.en.wikipedia.org