International Postage Meter Stamp Catalog/Bangladesh

Bangladesh

Bangladesh achieved independence from Pakistan in December 1971. A small number of unaltered Pakistan meter stamp designs were used after this date, but most dies were altered to remove or obliterate all references to Pakistan. Stamps with new Bangladeshi designs came into general use around 1976.

The stamps are grouped according to appearance and function:

A - Provisional designs made from altered Pakistani dies

B - Stamps used for private and business mail

PO - Stamp designs generated by Post Office meters

Bangladesh meter stamps contain the user’s name or initials in the town mark in addition to the identity of the licensing post office. Town marks of Post Office stamps show the post office identification only, and this is usually the only way to separate Post Office stamps from privately licensed meter stamps. This may be difficult to do for stamps issued since the mid-1980s when town marks in Bengali only (without English) first appeared.

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NOTE: For specialized information about the meter stamps of Bangladesh, see The Meter Franking Cancellations of Bangladesh, by Ishtiaque Ahmed Khan, 1996, Bangladesh Institute of Philatelic Studies, Dhaka.

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GROUP A: Provisional designs made from Pakistani meter dies

Group A stamps are nearly always handstamped with the country name in English and Bengali. Manuscript insertions of the country name are found occasionally.

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A1. Neopost (LV), 1972.

Pakistan Type B3 altered as follows:

A. Top panel blank [$10]

B. Top panel and center blank [$10]

C. Top panel blank, crescent removed but star remains in center [$15]

Values seen: 0.05, 0.07, 0.10, 0.13, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25

A2. Universal “MultiValue” (MV). [$5]

Pakistan Type C2 altered as follows:

A. Top and bottom panels blank or defaced

B. Top and bottom panels and upper corners blank or defaced

V/F: 0.oo

A3. Pitney Bowes “Simplex” (LV-21). [$5]

Pakistan Type C4 altered as follows:

A. Bottom panel blank or defaced

B. Top and bottom panels blank or defaced

Values seen: 0.13, 0.20

A4. Neopost “Frankmaster 305” (MV).

Pakistan Type C6, with “POSTAGE” vertical at left, altered as follows:

A. “POSTAGE” at left. Blank or defaced at top, bottom and right

B. “POSTAGE” at left. Corner blocks blank or defaced

V/F: 0.00 00.00

A5. Neopost “Frankmaster 305” (MV). [$5]

As Type A4 but “POSTAGE” at right instead of left.

Corner blocks blank or defaced.

TM DC

V/F: 0.00

A6. Neopost “Frankmaster 305” (MV).

Pakistan Type D3 altered as follows:

A. Top and side panels blank or defaced

B. Top, sides and corner blocks blank or defaced

V/F: 0.00 00.00

A7. Neopost “205” (MV). [$5]

Pakistan Type D6, with “POSTAGE” at left, and top,

bottom and right panels blank or defaced.

TM: SC, BIC

V/F: 0.00

A8. Neopost “205” (MV). [$5]

Pakistan Type D7, with “POSTAGE” at bottom.

Top and side panels blank.

TM: SC, BIC

V/F: 0.00

A9. Pitney Bowes “Automax” (MV).

Pakistan Type C7 altered as follows:

A. Top and bottom panels blank or defaced

B. Top, bottom and right panels and upper corners blank or defaced

C. As B, but bottom corners also blank or defaced

V/F: =0.oo

A10. Satas “Rotary” (MV).

Pakistan Type E2 with “PAKISTAN” removed from top.

TM: SC

V/F: 0.oo 00oo preceded by a symbol similar to a backward F.

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GROUP B: Stamps for private and general business use

SUB-GROUP BA: Paneled stamps, usually with water lily in one or two corners

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BA1. Neopost “Frankmaster 305” (MV), 1976.

Frank with double straight-line outer frame.

Panels on all four sides with water lily in upper right and lower left corners.

“POSTAGE” vertical up or down at right, “TAKA/ BANGLADESH” at bottom.

A. Small frank 24 x 26 mm (not shown)

B. Medium frank 26-27 x 27-28 mm

C. Large frank 31 x 32 mm

TM: DC

V/F: 0.00 00.00

BA1.1. Neopost “Frankmaster 305” (MV).

As Type BA1 but with water lily images in

opposite corners, and “POSTAGE” at left.

TM: DC

V/F: 0·00

BA2. Neopost “Frankmaster 305” (MV).

Similar to Type BA1 except with single straight-line outer frame.

A. Small frank, 23 x 26 mm (shown)

B. Medium frank, 26-27 x 27-28 mm (not shown)

TM: DC

V/F: 0.00 00.00

BA3. Uncertain (Pitney Bowes “Automax”?) (MV). [$5]

As Type BA1, but with single straight-line outer frame,

and side panels are narrower, especially at right.

Frank 29 x 28mm.

TM: DC

V/F: =0.oo

BA4. Kilburn (MV).

Simulated perforation outer frame line with straight-line inner frame line.

Large panel at bottom, medium panel at top, and small panels at sides.

Water lily in upper right, and large narrow “K” at lower left.

TM: DC of variable size

V/F: 00.oo 00.00 0.oo

a. Center panel open at top and bottom

b. TM circular text only without line

BA5. Pitney Bowes “Automax” (MV). [$5]

Frank with double straight-line outer frame lines.

Distance between frame lines is relatively wide, ~2-3 mm.

“POSTAGE” vertical at left. Water lilies in upper left and lower right corners.

TM: DC

V/F: =0.oo

BA6. Pitney Bowes “Automax” (MV).

Frank with simulated perforation outer frame line with straight-line inner frame line.

“POSTAGE” vertical at right.

Water lilies in upper right and lower left corners.

TM: DC

V/F: =0.oo

BA7. Postalia (MV). [$5]

Frank with single straight-line outer frame line.

“POSTAGE” vertical at left. Without water lilies in any corner.

“PAISAS” above value figures.

TM: DC

V/F: 000 (narrow figures)

BA8. Hasler “Mailmaster” (MV).

Frank with double straight-line outer frame lines.

“POSTAGE” vertical at left. Water lilies in upper left and lower right corners.

Franks vary in size.

TM: DC

A. Frank 27 x 27 mm

B. Frank 29 x 27 mm

C. Frank 31 x 32 mm

V/F: 00.00 000.00

BA8.1. Postalia (MV).

Very similar to Type BA8 but value and date figures are small and narrow.

TM: DC with double outer rim

V/F: 0000

BA8.2. Satas (MV).

Similar to Type BA8 but without panel at right.

"POSTAGE" in both Bengali and English read up at left.

TM: DC

V/F: 000 .oo

BA9. Neopost (LV).

Small frank with value figure at bottom.

Center panel empty except for small ‘BANGLADESH” at its bottom.

“TAKA” at bottom of panel left of value figure.

TM: DC

Values seen: 0.20, 0.50, 1.00

BA10. Neopost (LV-???). [$5]

As Type BA9 except water lily in center panel above value figure.

“TK” in both panels at sides of value.

Country name in Bengali only, not in English.

TM: DC

Value seen: 2.00

BA10.1. Neopost (LV).

As Type BA10 but with “BANGLADESH” at top.

Side panels are also different.

TM: SC

Values seen: 0.05, 0.90, 1.25

BA11. Pitney Bowes “5000” (MV).

Horizontal frank with double straight-line border.

“POSTAGE” vertical at left. Water lilies at upper left and lower right.

Value figures lowered in relation to date figures.

TM: DC

V/F: 0.00

BA12. Satas (MV).

Small upright frank with single straight-line outer frame line.

Empty panel across bottom of stamp, Floating panel at top containing Bengali text.

Three small boxes above bottom panel contain water lilies at left and right and Bengali text in center.

TM: DC with or without unengraved field surrounding date

V/F: 00.00

BA13. Satas (MV).

Very similar to Type BA12, but with inner frame line around everything but the bottom panel.

Center panel notched at left. Hour figure between TM and frank.

A. Left frame lines complete

B. Left frame lines open in the middle [$5]

TM: SC

V/F: 0.oo

BA14. Universal “MultiValue” (MV).

Design similar to Type BA1.1 but much wider spacing between inner and outer frame lines.

Value and date figures also are different.

TM: DC

V/F: 0.oo

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SUB-GROUP BB: Stamps with columns at sides

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BB1. Pitney Bowes “5000” (MV).

Horizontal frank with simulated outer border consisting of arcs and dots.

“BANGLADESH” and “POSTAGE PAID” at top.

Value figures lowered in relation to date figures.

Value indicator left of value figures resembles backward S with a dash through it.

TM: DC

V/F: 0.00 00.oo

BB2. Pitney Bowes “6300” (MV).

Similar to Type BB1 but “POSTAGE PAID” and “BANGLADESH” at bottom.

Value figures on same level as date figures.

TM: DC

V/F: 0.00

BB3. Neopost “Electronic” (MV).

Similar to Types BB1 and BB2 but frank nearly square.

“BANGLADESH” at top, “POSTAGE/ PAID” at bottom.

Value figures break the columns at the sides.

TM: DC

V/F: 00.00

BB4. Pitney Bowes (digital).

Similar to Type BB3 but frank is larger.

Two columns of numbers at at left of the town mark.

Value figures break the columns at the sides.

The meter number, with "PB" prefix, is low outside the frank at left below the town mark.

TM: SC

V/F: 00.00

BB5. Pitney Bowes "A/B900" (MV).

Very similar to Type BB2 but the value figures are larger.

Small meter number with PB prefix stacked between town mark and frank.

TM: DC

V/F: 00.00

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GROUP PO: Stamps used only with Post Office meters

PO1. Camp (MV). [$5]

Provisional stamp. Pakistan Type E3 with “PAKISTAN” removed from top.

POSTAGE curved at bottom, blank at top.

“Rs” between TM and frank. M# in lower right.

TM: SC, BIC

V/F: 0.oo

PO2. Camp (MV). [$5]

Bengali text at top.

A small passage of Bengali text at bottom flanked by two ornaments.

TM: SC with post office identification at top and country name at bottom in English.

V/F: 0.oo

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