How to Write a Cheque in Bangladesh: Taka Amount in Words

Cheques are still everyday banking in Bangladesh: rent, salaries, supplier payments, tuition fees, land deals and government deposits are all paid by cheque. Every one of them needs the amount written in words, and a mismatch or a missing word is one of the commonest reasons a cheque comes back unpaid. This guide shows exactly what to write, with examples from Tk. 500 to one crore.

The parts of a Bangladeshi cheque

A standard cheque leaf from a Bangladeshi bank has these fields. Fill them in with a pen, in blue or black ink.

1. Date – top right, in the boxes provided. Use day, month, year in that order (29/09/2026). The cheque is valid for six months from this date.
2. Pay – the payee’s name exactly as on their bank account or national ID. For a company, write the registered name.
3. Taka (in words) – the line beginning “Taka” (or “The sum of Taka”). This is the legal amount.
4. Tk. (in figures) – the box on the right. Write the amount with commas and close it with /=.
5. Or bearer / or order – printed after the payee line. Strike out “bearer” if only the named person should be able to cash it.
6. Signature – bottom right, matching the specimen signature your bank holds. Sign inside the box; do not touch the MICR code line at the bottom.

Writing the amount in words

The currency comes first, then the amount in words, then only:

Taka twenty-five thousand only

Follow these rules:

• Start with “Taka”. Most cheque leaves already print it at the start of the line. If yours does not, write it yourself.
• Use British English inside each group: “and” after the hundreds (two hundred and fifty) and hyphens in compound numbers (twenty-five, ninety-nine).
• Use lakh and crore for anything from one hundred thousand upwards – see below.
• End with “only” and draw a line through the space that is left, so nobody can add to it.
• Paisa: write “Taka five hundred and paisa fifty only” or “Taka five hundred and fifty paisa only”. Most cheques today are for whole taka.

Every number page on NumWords shows the Taka wording ready to copy – for example 50,000 gives Taka fifty thousand only.

Writing the figure: Tk. and /=

In the figures box write the amount with commas in South Asian grouping and close it with /= (or /-):

Start the figure right next to “Tk.” with no gap, so that no digit can be added in front.

Lakh and crore amounts

One lakh is one hundred thousand (1,00,000) and one crore is one hundred lakh (1,00,00,000). Between them the words run naturally: Taka three lakh forty-five thousand only; Taka two crore fifty lakh only. Do not mix systems on a cheque: Taka one million two hundred thousand only will be understood but will look wrong to a Bangladeshi bank clerk, and some branches will ask you to rewrite it as Taka twelve lakh only.

The lakh and crore conversion guide has a full table if you are converting from a figure given in millions.

Worked examples

Crossing and “A/C Payee”

• Two parallel lines across the top-left corner cross the cheque. A crossed cheque can only be paid into a bank account, not cashed over the counter.
• “A/C Payee Only” written between the lines means it can only go into the named payee’s account. Use this for any cheque you post or hand to a third party.
• Bearer cheques (with “or bearer” left in and no crossing) can be cashed by whoever holds them. Only use one for small amounts you are handing over in person.
• Positive pay: for large cheques, commonly Tk. 5 lakh and above, tell your bank the cheque details in advance through its app or a positive pay form. Without it the bank may return the cheque under Bangladesh Bank’s clearing rules.

Why cheques are returned

• Words and figures differ. Under the Negotiable Instruments Act the words are the legal amount, but Bangladeshi banks normally return a cheque with a mismatch. Read both back before you sign.
• Signature differs from the specimen. The most common reason of all. Sign slowly and consistently.
• Overwriting or corrections. A cheque with an altered date, payee or amount is usually refused even if you initial it. Write a new one.
• Stale or post-dated. Older than six months, or dated in the future.
• Insufficient funds. A dishonoured cheque can lead to a case under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, so never issue a cheque you cannot cover.
• “Only” missing or space left open. Not always a reason for return, but a security risk for you.

Writing a cheque in Britain instead? See How to write a UK cheque.