The offer aims at getting back the huge number of coins from market.

BB Executive Director Khandaker Mazharul Haque yesterday told reporters that there is an acute crisis of coins in the market despite release of a huge number of coins of taka one, two and five.

About the reason for such crisis, he said that people tend to keep those in their collection. "Over 50 percent of the released coins are not in the market at present," he said.

"Bangladesh Bank is now planning to offer monetary benefits in exchange of coins for a certain period," he said. People will get a certain amount of money swapping the coins with the banks, but details of the plan is yet to be finalised, Mazharul added.

The BB has a plan to collect at least 300 million pieces of five-taka coin from the market in this way and release those again in the market, he added.

Although the central bank had released 400 million pieces of five-taka coin, presently there are only 70 million pieces in the market, the BB estimates.

The central bank will also collect old and torn banknotes of Tk 2 and Tk 5 for removing those from the market as the banks have failed to do the job despite repeated instructions by the BB.

Mazharul said that they are planning to change those banknotes with new ones under the supervision of the central bank. "We will set up booths in big cities for a certain period of time where people can change the old and torn notes instantly."

He also gave out a detailed plan of the central bank for meeting the crisis of the coins and banknotes of Tk one, two and five denomination.

Mazharul said that 100 million pieces of Tk 5 banknote have already been printed and would be released in the market soon, adding that another 250 million pieces are under process of release in the market.

In addition of releasing 500 million pieces of one taka coin, 200 million pieces of Tk 2 coin along with 260 million pieces of Tk 2 banknote will be released soon, he added.