The aim of this study was to know the epidemiologic characteristics of contagious ecthyma and molecular characterization of the contagious ecthyma virus or ORF virus (ORFV). Sixty four households having 293 goats in Chuadanga district of Bangladesh were surveyed and 30 scab materials were collected from ORF affected goat. Virus detection by PCR was attempted. Sequencing was done for characterization. Goats (n=70) in 15 out of 64 (23.44%) households were found to be infected with ORF. The overall morbidity, mortality and case fatality was 23.89 (70/293), 1.02 (3/293) and 4.29% (3/70), respectively. A proliferative lesion in mouth, lips and gum was found in 100.00% affected goats. Besides, proliferative lesions were also found in legs (19.00%), body (13.00%), and ears (10.00%) of goats. Highest morbidity (29.00%) was found in goats of 7 months-1years aged group and lowest (2.05%) in goats of 2-3 years or more. About 79.00% goats were affected during January-March, 2011 and 21.00% during October–December, 2010. About 93.33% (28/30) scab samples were found positive by PCR. For molecular characterization PCR amplified viral interlukin-10 (vIL10) gene of 5 different ORFV were sequenced. One virus obtained from sheep and four from goat. Goat isolates were found very closely related (97.20-98.60%) to each other while sheep virus has 95.20-97.20% homology with goat viruses and clustered separately. Our isolates were closely related to Norwegian sheep isolates. It is concluded that ORFV is circulating in Bangladesh with high morbidity but low mortality and all age group of goats are susceptible to this disease. Circulating viruses are closely related to each other.